Undead (Undead, #1)

Aug 27, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley-e-book, 2012-debut-author-challenge

Undead was a heart-pounding, action-packed, zombie tale that took off and never stopped! I dare you to catch your breath while reading it!

Bobby is on her way home from the school-trip from hell (little does she know! Haha!). The school bus has stopped at the “Cheery Chomp” café (great name for a zombie tale) so they can all get off and have lunch. Bobby, being the new girl and class outcast, is tired of the mean-girls, and decides to stay on the bus. Her are her ominous opening words: “I would...more Undead was a heart-pounding, action-packed, zombie tale that took off and never stopped! I dare you to catch your breath while reading it!

Bobby is on her way home from the school-trip from hell (little does she know! Haha!). The school bus has stopped at the “Cheery Chomp” café (great name for a zombie tale) so they can all get off and have lunch. Bobby, being the new girl and class outcast, is tired of the mean-girls, and decides to stay on the bus. Her are her ominous opening words: “I would rather die than face them all again. Die horribly. In a messy, fleshy, blood ’n’ guts kind of way. It is a total no-brainer.”*

Stuck on the bus with her is the rebel-without-a-cause, complete with inky black hair and leather jacket, Smitty. He’s been busted by one of the teachers for buying smokes and vodka with a fake ID. But the teacher can’t deprive him of food, so Mr. Taylor makes his way to the café to grab a sandwich for him. This leaves the bus driver, Smitty, and Bobby to wait while everyone eats. Within no time, Alice or Malice, as Smitty calls her, runs back to the bus in a panic. It seems when she came out of the restroom, the whole class, including Mr. Taylor, was dead as doornails. Well, at least for the time being……

Robby was the perfect heroine for this tale, the ordinary girl stuck in extraordinary circumstances rising to every challenge with courage. A zombie uprising brings out the best in this girl. I instantly loved Bobby from the beginning with her snarky and humorous internal commentary that had me laughing throughout the story. Smitty is all kinds of fun, and full of hilarious one-liners. He is the hero to Bobby’s heroine, and between the beheadings and vomit, there’s a sweet little romance brewing. There’s Pete, the class geek and brain who manages to survive somehow. And the last of this mismatched quartet is Alice, the gloriously shallow mean-girl who manages to still have her lip gloss and mascara carefully applied in all the chaos. This beauty of a quote comes from her: “It’s such a nightmare!” Alice cries. “They want to kill us!” Her eyes narrow. “And Shanika’s got my CoutureCandy bag, the bitch!” she says to the driver. “Run them over!”* Kirsty McKay’s wickedly wonderful humor is laced throughout.

This story was non-stop action, terror, and ironically, fun. It had my heart pumping from the anticipation of what was around the next dark corner. But this was more than just a mindless romp; there is a mystery behind this outbreak that these four slowly uncover, and it hits close to home for one of them. I totally recommend this story to adrenaline junkies and zombie lovers alike. This ends on sort of a cliffhanger, but not the tear-your-hair-out kind. With that said while I was typing up the review for Undead, I ordered Unfed (Undead #2). I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley and The Chicken House for allowing me to read this.

You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.

*Quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How can a ski “school trip from hell” to the snow covered hills of middle of nowhere Scotland get worse? Just add zombies, blood, bitchiness, and conspiracy theories galore! :D

The Undead by Kirsty McKay wastes no time getting to the action. We jump in with both feet right along with our heroes running, swinging, bickering, and armed to the teeth. At a roadside diner just asking for a zombie blood bath, the Cheery Chomper, Bobby witnesses a whole new side to her classmates. Bobby is the new kid i...more
How can a ski “school trip from hell” to the snow covered hills of middle of nowhere Scotland get worse? Just add zombies, blood, bitchiness, and conspiracy theories galore! :D

The Undead by Kirsty McKay wastes no time getting to the action. We jump in with both feet right along with our heroes running, swinging, bickering, and armed to the teeth. At a roadside diner just asking for a zombie blood bath, the Cheery Chomper, Bobby witnesses a whole new side to her classmates. Bobby is the new kid in school, an outsider, trying to find her way and perhaps a friend or two when her schoolmates begin zombie-ing out, hunting for bloody bits to nibble and suck on. Instead of cracking the social status bubble of the queen bees, Bobby could end up cracking skulls instead! :) So how does one stay alive and kicking in a moaning, groaning, leg dragging zom world?

Teamwork! I liked Bobby from the very first glare and snarky comment, but humor and wit is nothing without sidekicks to bicker and banter along with. The gang soon forms filled with strong, likeable characters—Pete, Alice, Smitty, and more—each adding a new layer, style and skill to the pile of fun. I loved the whole gang, but Smitty stole the show! This leather-jacket clad hero throws a wicked one-liner, swing, and flirty comment out with such a fun-wink-of the-eye humor, warmth, and charm. He leads alongside Bobby with intelligence and strength. Both willing to allow the other to take the lead and share responsibility. A true gutsy team filled with possibilities. Bobby and Smitty’s chemistry was intimate, sweet, and down right swoon worthy. I loved the slow build up with quick looks, touches, compliments, and jabs. They made me laugh out loud throughout.

“What the--? Smitty doesn’t finish his sentence. The power cuts out, plunging us into darkness. Alice gives another yelp, there’s a thud, and Pete cries out, too. I grab at Smitty, and he at me, and for one horrible, desperately embarrassing second we fly into each other’s arms like Shaggy and Scooby Don’t.”

My absolute favorite part of the group’s chemistry and magic though was the growth and changes along the way. Ms. McKay allows each character to really develop and adapt to the deadly circumstances in their own time and way. The simpering wad of nerves and tears in the corner may not remain curled up and immobile for long. Hell, he or she just might end up kicking some ass!

Now I know I have said this before, but I’ll say it again—I’m a word junkie! I live and breathe off of them. So the language, humor, and words here were a true treat for me. Every page held lines that had me giggling, highlighting, or looking up.

“With knobs on!” or “Going all fruit-loopy now is not going to help.”

Words that jumped out and made me smile—tosser, crumblies, pavement pizza, and flabbergastery. Haha…Love it!

The whole gory, giggle fest was a pure joy to experience! Lightning quick banter, action, and humor propelled this story along with force and fun. But it was the action packed ending that had this horror fan swooning! I could feel the slick, cold fear and tension in my gut. Bloody beautiful! Color me very impressed. A snow covered horror tale brings out my full wattage smile! The splashes of color against the pure, white snow provide such a gruesome image in my head. All my senses jumped to attention with this final confrontation. Twists and turns that had me biting my nails til the end! :D

I highly recommend this dose of horror fun. I had a blast here!

Can’t wait for more!
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Aug 28, 2012 Giselle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebook, zombies

What started off as a laugh-out-loud funny zombie book/parody, ends up losing its flair about half way through, when the humor turns from funny to exhausting. I can see this book garnering a certain fan base, especially those who get a kick out of B-rated horror films and parodies. To me it was just too… dumb. This book was dumb. I can't lie.

When a school-trip zombifies, Bobby and a couple other fortunate classmates who are still alive, are trying to escape their friends who suddenly want to ea...more What started off as a laugh-out-loud funny zombie book/parody, ends up losing its flair about half way through, when the humor turns from funny to exhausting. I can see this book garnering a certain fan base, especially those who get a kick out of B-rated horror films and parodies. To me it was just too… dumb. This book was dumb. I can't lie.

When a school-trip zombifies, Bobby and a couple other fortunate classmates who are still alive, are trying to escape their friends who suddenly want to eat their faces. This book is definitely meant to be funny, even bizarre, and I did laugh quite a bit, especially at the beginning when Bobby's sense of humor makes the best of things. I knew before going in that it wasn't a serious zombie novel, I mean, just look at this cover, what I didn't expect was the extent to which it would get ridiculous. I wanted to lay off the funny just a notch, and get some good story building at the very least to give the humor something to hang on to. For the most part, we go back and forth with no real goal or significance in the story, causing me to get restless and jittery, and eventually lethargic. The book zombiefied me! Bravo! Finally, when the plot got some traction, I was too anxious to get the book over with to enjoy the story developments that followed.

There are a lot of characters that come into play in this novel. Bobby being the narrator, we obviously get to know her the most. I did like her, but I also got irritated by her more than I can count, mostly because of her annoyingly flippant attitude about the situation. What I did like was her determination and take-charge attitude. She's not one that needs a hand to hold. Along with Bobby, we meet a slew of "survivors" that I can't say are very memorable. When a name was mentioned, I kept having to do a mental-check to recall who they were. This is the type of characterization that you come to expect from horror films, but in a book I like to get distinct personalities that I can get to know and care about, at least to some extent.

Also, for the love of god, zombies are called zombies, not zoms. *cries*

Will I tell you not to read this book? Not at all. It has tons of humor that ranges from hilarious to stupid to just plain ridiculous that I'm sure some people will enjoy. It will probably even gain its own cult following. But if you're looking for any type of substance other than mindless entertainment, walk away, and let us never speak of this again.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Apr 22, 2013 Jack rated it 5 of 5 stars

They’re not exactly the friendliest of creatures; fiercely aggressive, rancid in appearance and always paired with an insatiable hunger for ‘Braaains ...’ but zombies have somehow found themselves at the height of popularity these days. So, when a novel comes along featuring the shambling, reanimated corpses the world is so used to watching/reading about/ blowing up in video-games, it really does need to be something rather special to raise more than just the most dedicated zom-buster’s eyebrow....more They’re not exactly the friendliest of creatures; fiercely aggressive, rancid in appearance and always paired with an insatiable hunger for ‘Braaains ...’ but zombies have somehow found themselves at the height of popularity these days. So, when a novel comes along featuring the shambling, reanimated corpses the world is so used to watching/reading about/ blowing up in video-games, it really does need to be something rather special to raise more than just the most dedicated zom-buster’s eyebrow.

A YA novel at heart, Undead begins in a suitably teenage fashion as heroine Bobby, the new girl with the foreign accent, tries to deflect the unruly attentions of her rowdy schoolmates. No easy task as the book starts on a crowded bus pulling into a rest stop in deepest darkest Scotland. Even more tricky when, after Bobby elects to stay behind whilst everyone else ventures outside for a refresher, her schoolmates return to the bus as groaning, walking corpses intent on tearing her limb from limb.

It’s perhaps lucky then that Bobby is not alone on the bus; rebellious class clown Smitty has been ordered to stay behind with her although, right from the start, it’s clear he’s more intent on throwing out one-liners rather than taking the situation (or anything else for that matter) particularly seriously. And this is Undead’s greatest strength: the slick dialogue, as well as Bobby’s internal thoughts, are both wonderfully sassy and frequently laugh-out-loud funny, despite the relative horror of the situation. Things soon become even more spirited, too, as popular girl Alice (quickly nicknamed Malice) joins the pair, shortly followed by class know-it-all, Pete.

With the gang set firmly in place the zingers continue to fly but that’s not to say that Undead is all fun and giggles. The zombie threat is not watered down at all and the descriptions of the ferocious living corpses are graphic, grizzly and often very, very bloody – this is no story for the faint-hearted and, as one might expect in any such plot, people (minors included) frequently meet horrible ends.

Whilst the book’s main story centres on survival (the gang have several colourful discussions concerning what they should do and where they should go) the final act, a superb series of set pieces taking place in a moody Scottish castle, introduces the protagonists to the sinister plot behind the outbreak. Add to the mix a torrent of cliff-hangers, a host of excellent supporting characters (special mention to the divine yet devious Grace) and this really is a novel that anyone, undead or not, would no doubt be delighted to sink their teeth into.(less)

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Feb 14, 2013 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: must-read-again

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was among one of the more amazing zombie books that I've read (And believe me when I say I've read ALOT of them).

I truly did love Bobby. While I find most heroine's in books to be quite to smart for me to imagine being myself as them while I'm reading the book, she sounds more normal than most. While most heroine's have a snarky comment or something memorable to say in times of pure terror Bobby simply wishes that she had something memorable to say. And while she'd hoped to say someth...more This book was among one of the more amazing zombie books that I've read (And believe me when I say I've read ALOT of them).

I truly did love Bobby. While I find most heroine's in books to be quite to smart for me to imagine being myself as them while I'm reading the book, she sounds more normal than most. While most heroine's have a snarky comment or something memorable to say in times of pure terror Bobby simply wishes that she had something memorable to say. And while she'd hoped to say something memorable she goes on to be hilarious at almost any given moment. And Smitty, being the opposite of your usual zombie book dream hunk, and utterly crazy to say the least, is by far the first character I would pull out of a book given the chance. The other characters are also wonderful. Alice is like that girl at school I would want to punch if I were locked in the same room with her, but now that I have come upon a character who is just like them I can finally look at them and smile with actual fondness for I know that as soon as a zombie apocalypse breaks out they will become psychotic and awesome given time. And Pete, sweet sweet Pete. His character just goes to show you that in an apocalypse go for the quiet one looking at the computer magazines, he will most likely be the brains of the operation and get the girl later on (You go Pete cootos to you.)

All in all I believe Kirsty McKay is going right up there on my list of favorite authors and this book will go on my must- read- again list and to all of those who see it and go cool a cheerleader with an axe just know this book is SOOO worthy of the epic cover(s) it has. There are no dull moments in this book and if you're the kind of person (like me) who hates leaving their characters in bad situations, you will not put this book down until you get to the end and, although it is a pretty mean ending, you will love it and come up with multiple scenarios for how it ends. All I have to say is GOOD LUCK and read on my little undead loving readers.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Karla V added it

Read complete review here: http://notjustnonsense.blogspot.com/2...

First line: I would rather die than face them all again.

Last line: "We need to get off this bus - now!"

Favorite quote: "Zombie parkour. Don't think that's been done before. Better film this, Alice, it could go viral."

Bobby is on the School Trip from Hell. She was born in the UK, but thanks to her mother's job they had to move to the US. Now, she's back the UK again. On a skiing trip to Scotland before the start of the new school...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies, weather, vacations, teachers, survival, seasons, school, romance, humor, friendship, families, community, animals

This fast-paced, thrills-a-minute romp was fun to read, partly because of the characters, and partly because there is hardly a moment for anyone to take a breath. Every time I started to relax, something else happened, and while some developments didn't really surprise me, others did. The book grabbed me from its opening pages and never let go. A high school class is homeward bound from a ski trip when they stop for something to eat and drink. New girl Bobby and Smitty stay on the bus; luckily f...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Paper Droids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wait a minute. An outcast, a rebel, a nerd, and a cheerleader tangle with flesh-slurping zombies in the middle of a snowstorm in Scotland? How can it possibly get more bloody and fun than this?

While it doesn’t sport the most original title on the planet, Kirsty McKay’s debut novel Undead is a bona fide entertaining read, a sportingly good gorefest that definitely does not take itself seriously.

Bobby and her mother have just moved back to the United Kingdom after a lengthy stay in the United Stat...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Livi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ich weiß, die Rezension kommt spät. Nein, eigentlich nicht. Aber dafür dass ich das Buch innerhalb von zwei Tagen durchgelesen hatte wiederum schon! Und das waren zwei sehr terminreiche Tage, sonst wäre das Ganze wahrscheinlich noch schneller gegangen. Denn wie schon die Rückseite des Buches verspricht ist "Untot" ein wahrer Pageturner!

Die Story klingt verrückt und durchgedreht und genauso ist es auch. Abstrus, jedoch gleichzeitig lustig, unheimlich und wahnsinnig toll.
Kirsty McKay besitzt einen...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Hilary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, speculative-fiction, tri-review, young-adult

Scholastic Press describes “Undead,” as a humorous “school-trip splatter fest.” This is an accurate description of Undead’s non-stop action, horror, and fun. Kirsty McKay has a gift for bickering and banter (i.e., dialogue), evident throughout the text.

New girl Bobby is returning from a school-sponsored ski trip, but stays on the bus when it stops at a roadside restaurant (the “Cheery Chomp” cafe) for lunch. Hours pass and the snow piles up. Bobby flirts with clueless Smitty until their classmat...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Lydia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies, teen

Premise: Zombies in the snow. Enough said.

Characters: It has to be said that the characters in this book were either really annoying or uninteresting. The way they spoke in particular was irritating, such as the selfish shallow Alice randomly adding French words and saying things like 'tres embarrassment', and the protagonist Bobby's habit of shortening words and saying things like 'under the circs'. I know they're supposed to be teenagers but I don't know any people that age who actually talk l...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Brian Clopper rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun read. It moved at a fast pace and delivered some solid snark. I really liked the locale of a ski resort. I wish more zombie action had happened outside, but the book was still a solid read.

One way I know if I like a book is how long it takes me to read it. This one got devoured in under a day.

There were a few plot points that were a bit too telegraphed, items introduced in the setting that were later used by the characters to solve a problem. Their introduction felt obviously em...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Marie-Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Auf keinen Fall wird sie aus diesem Bus aussteigen. Bobby hasst ihre neuen Mitschüler und der Skiausflug war die totale Vollkatastrophe. Da wartet sie lieber mit Bad Boy Smitty, bis die anderen aus dem Café zurückkommen. Aber die anderen kommen nicht. Die anderen sind tot - Alice hat es genau gesehen und dreht vollkommen durch. Schöne Scheiße! Sie müssen hier weg und zwar schnell. Denn plötzlich kommen die Toten auf sie zu und sie sehen verdammt hungrig aus. Doch draußen ist es einsam und dunkel...more Auf keinen Fall wird sie aus diesem Bus aussteigen. Bobby hasst ihre neuen Mitschüler und der Skiausflug war die totale Vollkatastrophe. Da wartet sie lieber mit Bad Boy Smitty, bis die anderen aus dem Café zurückkommen. Aber die anderen kommen nicht. Die anderen sind tot - Alice hat es genau gesehen und dreht vollkommen durch. Schöne Scheiße! Sie müssen hier weg und zwar schnell. Denn plötzlich kommen die Toten auf sie zu und sie sehen verdammt hungrig aus. Doch draußen ist es einsam und dunkel, der Schneesturm tobt und die Handys funktionieren auch nicht. Und eigentlich weiß man aus jedem guten Horrorfilm, dass man sich niemals in so eine Situation begeben darf ...

"Untot- Lauf, solange du noch kannst" ist der Auftakt zu einer Buchreihe der englischen Autorin Kristy McKay.
Ziemlich schnell wird man ins Geschehen geworfen, die Autorin nimmt sich lediglich die Zeit, die Protagonisten und die Begebenheiten dem Leser näherzubringen und danach geht es eigentlich auch schon los. Dadurch wird keine Zeit verloren und man ist sofort mittendrin. Genauso geht es auch bis zum Schluss weiter, denn Kristy McKay behält ein straffes Erzähltempo bei und wirft den Leser zusammen mit den Protagonisten von einer gefährlichen Situation in die nächste.
Dadurch ist die Spannung konstant hoch angelegt und schafft die eine oder andere nervenzerreißende Situation, die dem Leser den Schauer über den Rücken laufen lässt. Dies mag auch an der gruseligen und grausigen Atmosphäre liegen, die so gut herübergebracht wurde, dass man sich nicht traut den Kopf zu drehen und über seine Schulter zu blicken, aus Angst ein Zombie stünde direkt hinter einem.
Die immer wieder auftretenden überraschenden Wendungen schaffen zusätzliche Spannung und Neugierde auf den weiteren Verlauf der Geschichte.
Dennoch ist "Untot" nichts für schwache Nerven, denn die Handlung ist blutig und die Atmosphäre gruselig.
Der Schluss besitzt einen ziemlich fiesen Cliffhanger, der die Neugier auf den nächsten Band schürt.

Die Hauptprotagonisten könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein; sie sind eine bunte Mischung aus den unterschiedlichsten Charaktereigenschaften, die sich aber innerhalb der Handlung sehr gut ergänzen.
Dabei sind sie sowohl authentisch, wie auch facettenreich gestaltet und offenbaren die eine oder andere Überraschung.
Zusammen sind sie ein gutes Team im Kampf gegen die Untoten und beweisen Cleverness und Mut.

Sprachlich zeichnet sich der Stil der Autorin durch eine packende Erzählweise aus, die den Leser zu fesseln weiß, außerdem ist der Sprachstil doch sehr jugendlich und umgangssprachlich gehalten und gewährleistet eine authentische Umgebung. Dennoch liest sich "Untot" stets flüssig und angenehm und erzeugt eine wunderbare Atmosphäre, die hervorragend zu der Handlung passt.
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Nov 24, 2012 Sofie added it

This book reminded me of the movie Shaun of the Dead because it was very

humorous, but was also a horror book. Like Shaun of the Dead the Author of this book

was able to make a scary story line, but she added in a couple jokes here and there.

My favorite funny quote from this book was “For one horribly, desperately embarrassing

moment we fly into each others arms just like Shaggy and Scooby.” I thought it was because I

could get a really funny imagine in my head.

There are technically four main...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel stars a class of Year 11-to-be students who are on a ski trip somewhere near Scotland. The excitement starts when the entire class leaves the bus except for the driver and the protagonists Bobby and Smitty. These unfortunate victims are then turned into zombies – the undead (as the title suggests).

This is followed by many other unfortunate events that conspire to create the worst luck ever for these poor people. I liked how it was fast paced, grotesque, funny and suspenseful all at th...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Cathy/The Crazy Bookworm rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Alice's face widens in horror. I left my candy Coture bag on the table!' 'Oh, the tragedy! Smitty joins in, girlying it up. The dead people might be.... touching it!” -Alice .

Alright, I'm sure by know you know why I initially wanted to read this novel..Yes, the Zombies. I went into this novel with my usual zombie expectations, but Undead was so much more fun!

Firstly, it was hilarious. There were so many laugh out loud moments. It was a blast reading this book in the public. What people see: Blo...more

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Oct 25, 2012 A Beautiful Madness rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one book I got into without really knowing what to expect, but I have to say I was quite happy with Undead. It was just the kind of books I needed, the kind of book you can easily read in one sitting. It is so easy to get lost in the story, and it is really fun to read. Zombie lovers will be happy with this light read. The great thing about this book it’s that there is a few hilarious scene that makes it a great read for those, like me, who were on a reading slump. It simply cheered me u...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Sarai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, supernatural, horror

Zombies. If you are into zombie books, you will probably like this one. It was a pretty fast read with a slightly implausible ending. I liked the characters but didn't become too attached to them and would have liked to see a bit more depth. It is a page turner, though. Pretty good book.

Book Description
Publication Date: September 1, 2012
Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

Th...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Renae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-ya, the-horror-the-horror

I have seen the end. No one was spared, not even the children. Or something like that. Maybe the situation really wasn't that dire, but it felt that way at times.

This was an absolutely fantastic book. The pacing was amazing, I finished it in two sittings - which is an accomplishment when you count that one sitting was at work.

It's a fairly scary book that doesn't pull sheer shock value to create suspense. The author creates suspense and horror by a careful ratcheting up of the action creating...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, read-in-2012, zombies

This was a good old-fashioned zombie romp! Of the zombie books I've read--and they are becoming more numerous than I expected them to--this one is the closest to watching a traditional zombie horror movie. Now, my theory of horror movies divides them into two categories--ones where the blood spatters everywhere (awesome, fun, usually at least a little campy) and ones where the blood oozes (why do they even make these movies, they are just unpleasant from beginning to end). This is solidly in the...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Big Book Little Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Culturally confused Bobby has survived the week from hell; A ski trip to Scotland with her new classmates, amounting to little more than constant ribbing for her transatlantic expressions. All she wants to do now is keep her head down and get home without attracting any further attention from her British tormentors.

Opting to stay out of their way, Bobby remains on the coach while all but one of her cohorts pile, through thick snow, in to the secluded services. Irritated that her quiet solitude,...more Culturally confused Bobby has survived the week from hell; A ski trip to Scotland with her new classmates, amounting to little more than constant ribbing for her transatlantic expressions. All she wants to do now is keep her head down and get home without attracting any further attention from her British tormentors.

Opting to stay out of their way, Bobby remains on the coach while all but one of her cohorts pile, through thick snow, in to the secluded services. Irritated that her quiet solitude, not to mention her plans for a private pee, have been interrupted, Bobby does her best to ignore leather clad “rebel without a pause”, Smitty.

Outside the snow picks up, wrapping the bus in a white coat and cutting the passengers off from the outside world, until a single, pink hand slaps against the windscreen and swipes at the cold covering …

The new girl, the popular girl who touches up her lip gloss mid apocalypse, the rebel with a not so hidden heart and the nerdy, asthmatic conspiracy theorist- a group of people who would have avoided eating lunch together before the intervention of lumbering, reanimated corpses, but who now depend on each other for their very survival.

I know what you are thinking, a group of mismatched teens, thrown together for survival- been there seen/read that! Mckay embraces this and other familiar elements from horror stories and teen movies, infusing them with an energy and freshness that prevents it from feeling trite or clichéd.

The fantastically snarky banter and surprisingly tender heart-warming moments provide relief to the background of gore and mounting tension. The laugh out loud humor has prompted some comparisons with the fabulously funny “Shaun of the Dead” film. While Undead doesn’t contain the visual comedy and slapstick elements (although what Smitty can’t do with a snowboard isn’t worth knowing), I think that fans of the film will enjoy the black humor both mediums share.

While Undead has all of the necessary carnage, gore and violence you would expect from a story featuring teens battling flesh eating zombies, you can rest assured that you are unlikely to lose your lunch. McKay provides enough description to transport you in to frozen rural Scotland, but avoids the overly graphic details, which make some horror books hard to stomach.

As the tension built I was loathe to put the book down (and not least because I was reluctant to leave my safe warm, zombie free home to take my puppy out in the pitch black for her nightly constitutional), and I had to stay up in to the small hours to see how they would escape one perilous situation after another.

Verdict: Fun and likeable characters populate this eerie and atmospheric page-turner. I will definitely be picking up a copy of the sequel, Unfed when It is released next month.
(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Broche rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: funny, mystery, paranormal, teen-ya-age-16-18, teen-ya-age-14-18

The best way to describe this book is The Breakfast Club meets zombie slasher flick - and if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, you should read it anyway for a surprisingly funny teen romance/adventure. Bobby, formerly of the UK, then the US, now back to the UK, is frustrated, sad, lonely, pissy, and SO very tired of her perky classmates on the pre-school year ski trip. When everyone gets off the bus at a rest stop on the way home, Bobby stays on-board, and unfortunately, so does Smitty, t...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Discombobulatedbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Zombie fans, YA readers, people who don't throw up on reading about blood and guts

Shelves: 5-stars, amazing-books, apocalyptic, favourites, reviewed, zombies

OMG. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!!! I AM SO SHOCKED. I AM NEVER GOING TO DRINK CARROT JUICE OR TAKE FREE SAMPLES EVER AGAIN. I CANNOT BELIEVE IT… and what’s worst… is that it could happen… - but I have a big imagination, so don’t worry!
Anyway, back to writing the review… This book is by Kirsty McKay, and it is the first in a series called Undead. The next book is called Unfed and it’s going to come out in the August of this year… ;(. Undead ended on a really big cliffhanger… and I CAN’T WAIT FOR UNF...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Elodie Diebolt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Je n’ai pas lu énormément de livres sur les zombies mais en général, mes avis sont très tranchés : ou j’ai aimé ou j’ai détesté. Pour celui-ci, j’avoue que mon avis est plutôt mitigé et malgré les points négatifs que j’ai relevés – et que je développerai plus bas -, j’ai tout de même passé un bon moment de lecture. Au niveau de la couverture, je dois dire que je la trouve un peu trop simple, trop sobre peut-être comparé à l’histoire. Bref, je ne la trouve pas vraiment attrayante. C’est dommage p...more Je n’ai pas lu énormément de livres sur les zombies mais en général, mes avis sont très tranchés : ou j’ai aimé ou j’ai détesté. Pour celui-ci, j’avoue que mon avis est plutôt mitigé et malgré les points négatifs que j’ai relevés – et que je développerai plus bas -, j’ai tout de même passé un bon moment de lecture. Au niveau de la couverture, je dois dire que je la trouve un peu trop simple, trop sobre peut-être comparé à l’histoire. Bref, je ne la trouve pas vraiment attrayante. C’est dommage parce que je suis sûre que ce livre pourrait plaire à pas mal de personnes.

L’intrigue repose sur la survie de Bobby et ses camarades mais aussi sur la cause des transformations zombies que subissent les personnes autour d’eux. Ce qui en fait une histoire originale à mon sens, c’est surtout que les protagonistes du récit sont des ados et non de jeunes adultes. Les thèmes de la mort mais aussi de la solidarité et de la débrouillardise sont abordés de façon très juste sans tomber dans un côté moralisateur ou ennuyeux.

Les personnages principaux sont au nombre de 4 : Bobby, Pete, Smitty et Alice. Ces adolescents ont des caractères totalement opposés et ne se supportent pas mais pourtant, ils vont devoir affronter tous les dangers et se serrer les coudes pour survivre. Alice et Smitty sont les personnages les plus attachants du livre de par leur relation mais aussi de par leurs tempéraments plus matures que ceux des autres. Concernant les autres personnages, je ne me suis pas spécialement attachée à eux parce que je les trouvais pour l’une, immature et superficielle et pour le second, un peu trop intellectuel à mon goût.

Le récit se passe en Ecosse de nos jours et le narrateur est Bobby, le personnage principal du livre. Le vocabulaire est courant et accessible pour de jeunes adolescents à partir de 14 ans. Dans l’ensemble, la plume de l’auteur est fluide. Néanmoins, certaines tournures de phrases m’ont gênée et l’enchainement de certains évènements qui arrivaient comme un cheveu sur la soupe également. L’histoire est intéressante mais je l’ai trouvée trop axée jeunesse, un peu trop simple. Les personnages acceptent très vite ce qui leur arrive et certaines scènes ont tendance à s’éterniser là où d’autres auraient mérité d’être un peu plus développées. Malgré ces petits bémols, il n’en reste pas moins que l’auteur a tout de même su me tenir en haleine jusqu’au bout et me donner envie de connaître la suite. Le dénouement est une surprise totale puisque l’on s’attend à tout sauf à cela, et ça ne le rend que meilleur !

Pour conclure, malgré quelques points négatifs, j’ai tout de même passé un agréable moment de lecture. Je conseille toutefois ce roman à de jeunes lecteurs qui sauront plus apprécier cette histoire que les adultes.(less)

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Dec 17, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Undoubtedly one of my favourite books of 2011, Kirsty Mckay’s Undead had me hooked. Admittedly for the first page or so I wasn’t sure whether Bobby was in fact a boy or a girl but that didn’t stop me immediately liking the character.
Bobby, the new girl outcast, is a believable and strong character and trust me when I say that she’s got guts! From dealing with an infuriating Alice to terrors in a dungeon or confronting family demons, she’s one tough cookie. I particularly liked her lack of knowle...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Jade Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Original review at http://inkscratchers.blogspot.com/

Reading zombie books at night time is a bad idea. Even if said zombie book is aimed at an audience of 12+ and not actually supposed to be terrifying. What can I say? I get scared at basically anything.

I've seen Undead making the rounds on the British blogosphere and decided it was about time that I got around to reading that ARC I've had on my TBR pile for a while. While I was interested in reading it, it's not been something that I've been ab...more Original review at http://inkscratchers.blogspot.com/

Reading zombie books at night time is a bad idea. Even if said zombie book is aimed at an audience of 12+ and not actually supposed to be terrifying. What can I say? I get scared at basically anything.

I've seen Undead making the rounds on the British blogosphere and decided it was about time that I got around to reading that ARC I've had on my TBR pile for a while. While I was interested in reading it, it's not been something that I've been absolutely bouncing with excitement to read, but I had to read it at some point and I wanted something that I could put down to go to sleep and pick up in the morning, in other words, a book that I wasn't going to get glued to.

Bad choice then. The beginning was a little shaky, but that is to be expected, after a few chapter I literally could not put it down, whether that be due to being addicted to the characters or the fear that I leave off in the middle of the story I'd have nightmares, I don't know.

Don't take my word that this book is scary, I know it scared me a little but I freak out at just about anything, so you guys would probably find this book mildly thrilling at the most, but do take my word when I say that Undead is also so funny. The characters are stuck together in a mismatch, leading to some hilarious interactions; American new girl Bobby, bad boy and flirt Smitty, popular and prissy Alice and albino braniac Pete. The way that these characters come to respect each other is fantastic, to say that they started out by hating each other. I couldn't help feeling that some of the humour didn't fit in with the story, or that the timing was out, as if the humour was at odds with the story, which annoyed me to the max at some points.

The story is great too. It's fantastic to finally read a zombie story that's set in the modern day, sure, there are zombie books out there but most of them are dystopian, so Undead was a nice change. The story developed at a nice enough pace as well and was detailed enough, leaving very few, if any plot holes.

Overall, Undead was a great book which I would definitely recommend to older readers, and the younger ones if they're feeling brace! I will place my bets that when Undead hits the shelves in September, it will get snatched up and loved! I'm ending this review a little short as the pipes at my house make a funny noise and I'm pretty terrified.

Rating: B+(less)

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Jun 07, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

The very lovely Chicken House were kind enough to send me a copy of Undead, by Kirsty McKay for review.

Before sitting down to read this book, I had to have a long, hard talk to myself. Yes, I was thrilled to have finally made it into the world of happiness that is getting free books. Yes, I giggled at the fact that Chicken House addressed the book to "Not-Toooo-Scaredy-Cat Laura". Yes, I hope that Chicken House and other publishers will want to send me more books in future. But would I be willi...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Melies Buchlounge rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Klappentext:
"Mr Taylor reißt den Kopf nach oben. Er sieht uns. Dann stößt er ein langes Ächzen aus, streckt die Hände vor und kommt direkt auf den Bus zugewankt. Er wirkt... hungrig."

Endlich ist dieser grässliche Skiausflug mit ihren noch grässlicheren Mitschülern vorbei. Noch ein letzter Pausenstopp, dann hat Bobby es hinter sich. So lange wartet sie mit Smitty im Bus auf die anderen. Aber die anderen sind tot! Alice hat es genau gesehen und dreht vollkommen durch. Schöne Scheiße. Sie müssen hi...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Steffi und Kay his-and-her-books rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Zitat:
Das Mädchen liegt auf den Stufen und keucht. Es ist Alice Hicks. Sie hebt den Kopf und ihr rinnt schwarze Mascara über das hübsche Gesicht.
"Tot", kreischt sie. "Sie sind alle tot!"
(S. 15)

Inhalt:
Bobby und ihre Klassenkameraden sind auf der Rückfahrt von einem Ski-Ausflug. An einer kleinen Raststätte hält der Bus, außer Bobby und Smitty gehen alle in das Café.
Plötzlich kommt ein Mädchen angerannt und brüllt, dass alle tot seien. Was Bobby und Smitty anfangs für einen Scherz halten, ist bitte...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Vsheehan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am writing this review as a Mother of a nonreader. Every night I fight with my 12 year old daughter to get her to read. It's a fight that is never ending as she would rather be with people then a book. We will order any book, magazine, back of a cereal box she wants in hopes of getting her to read. We ordered "Undead" for her as she liked the book cover of a Cheerleader holding an AX (US addition's book cover). As usual when she got the ebook we had to push her to start reading. After some ple...more

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title link	preview: Undead
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