Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something i...
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reviews
Nov 26, 2010
Maria
rated it: 
What I Can Tell You:
I loved it! It's a mystery. It's horror. It's young love. It's young adult. It's everything. A.J. White does a great job of creating an interesting story about sisters Heather and Meredith, who are high schoolers who recently lost their loving father. When neighbors move into the old Victorian house things start getting weird.
New neighbor "living dead" Adrien and his "mother" Marie are interesting. All the girls in school find Adrien super More...
I loved it! It's a mystery. It's horror. It's young love. It's young adult. It's everything. A.J. White does a great job of creating an interesting story about sisters Heather and Meredith, who are high schoolers who recently lost their loving father. When neighbors move into the old Victorian house things start getting weird.
New neighbor "living dead" Adrien and his "mother" Marie are interesting. All the girls in school find Adrien super More...
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Jun 03, 2011
Cheyenne
rated it: 
Also see the review on my blog.
Let me begin by telling you how many horror books I've ever read: zero. I don't even watch horror movies because they freak me out too much. But while The Cellar was, in fact, a horror, it wasn't overwhelmingly scary. The author (I know it's not just ONE author, but it's easier to say the author than saying it the drawn out way.) focused more on the creepy aspects, like bugs and bugs and more bugs. BIG bugs. Lots of them. There was also lots of human tort More...
Let me begin by telling you how many horror books I've ever read: zero. I don't even watch horror movies because they freak me out too much. But while The Cellar was, in fact, a horror, it wasn't overwhelmingly scary. The author (I know it's not just ONE author, but it's easier to say the author than saying it the drawn out way.) focused more on the creepy aspects, like bugs and bugs and more bugs. BIG bugs. Lots of them. There was also lots of human tort More...
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Dec 23, 2010
Krista
rated it: 
Ok. So Weird boy moves in next door. Sister falls in love with him. See a Dead body hanging in the neighbors basement: body is being eaten by neighbor and his mother...."brains are the best"... All the girls are acting weird at school. Something is def. going on!
This book not only had an incredibly smart Zombie (which is unusal because they are always brain-dead flesh eaters), but also a love story. (*ahhh* right?)
It really is...who would have thought that a zom More...
This book not only had an incredibly smart Zombie (which is unusal because they are always brain-dead flesh eaters), but also a love story. (*ahhh* right?)
It really is...who would have thought that a zom More...
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Jan 04, 2011
Rosa
rated it:
This review is also published at http://living-for-books.blogspot.com/
Again, many thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me read this book!
Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead…
There’s something strange about the new guy… That would be fine if “strange” meant that the new guy had an obsession with frogs or that he reads his books backwards, but nothing’s that simple anymore…
After Meredith Willis’ dad dies in a car accident, More...
Again, many thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me read this book!
Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead…
There’s something strange about the new guy… That would be fine if “strange” meant that the new guy had an obsession with frogs or that he reads his books backwards, but nothing’s that simple anymore…
After Meredith Willis’ dad dies in a car accident, More...
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Apr 06, 2011
AtenRa
rated it:
I love me a good zombie story!Especially one that is not about the stereotypical goofy-stupid kind of zombies.
The Cellar was a book that started very strong but I am afraid had a somewhat disappointing second half.
The writing was pretty good, very funny and witty.I admit it,the detailed and very gory descriptions gave me quite a scare when I was reading the book in the middle of the night.Regardless of that,though,first 200 pages went by without my even noticing it, it was that More...
The Cellar was a book that started very strong but I am afraid had a somewhat disappointing second half.
The writing was pretty good, very funny and witty.I admit it,the detailed and very gory descriptions gave me quite a scare when I was reading the book in the middle of the night.Regardless of that,though,first 200 pages went by without my even noticing it, it was that More...
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May 08, 2011
Claudette
rated it: 
When I requested this title on netGalley, I didn't really know what to expect. I rarely read books about zombies, they're not really my thing, but I thought I'd give it a try.
In my opinion, the idea had a lot of potential - mix classic with modern and you'll have a large audience - but the writing, the characters and the development of the story were far from being great.
Also, I have to say I was bored through most of the book because the plot was pretty predictable and t More...
In my opinion, the idea had a lot of potential - mix classic with modern and you'll have a large audience - but the writing, the characters and the development of the story were far from being great.
Also, I have to say I was bored through most of the book because the plot was pretty predictable and t More...
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Feb 03, 2012
Rhiannon
rated it: 
I was really intrigued by the idea behind The Cellar, and by that I'm referring to the fact it was written by author Shirley Jump and her teenage daughter in an effort to "spice up the Shakespeare stories that are required reading in High School". Romeo and Juliet with Zombies seemed like a no fail combo to me.
Although filled with gory descriptions of a unusual brand of thoughtful Zombie, and a somewhat interesting mystery about who these zombies were and where they'd come f More...
Although filled with gory descriptions of a unusual brand of thoughtful Zombie, and a somewhat interesting mystery about who these zombies were and where they'd come f More...
Oct 08, 2011
Alison
rated it:
Despite the incredibly amount of yuck, The Cellar was very, very readable.
Other than a few areas where the suspension of disbelief was required for the most part the plot was well written and paced to keep the pages turner yet also allowing the reader to dwell on the horror.
I was reading an ARC, and encountered a few difficulties with the formatting causing story flow confusion; the story is written in first person, with the voice of Meredith being our primary mind, her sister H More...
Other than a few areas where the suspension of disbelief was required for the most part the plot was well written and paced to keep the pages turner yet also allowing the reader to dwell on the horror.
I was reading an ARC, and encountered a few difficulties with the formatting causing story flow confusion; the story is written in first person, with the voice of Meredith being our primary mind, her sister H More...
Jun 17, 2011
It's Romeo + Juliet + zombies in this macabre teen read. This was the book I wanted the most. How can zombies, young love, and Shakespeare go wrong?
The book focuses on two sisters, Meredith and Heather. Their father was killed in a recent car accident. His death tears their family apart. Heather blames herself because she was driving the car. Their mother can't deal and starts compulsively shopping out of grief. The girls' aunt has to move in to take care of them all.
To More...
The book focuses on two sisters, Meredith and Heather. Their father was killed in a recent car accident. His death tears their family apart. Heather blames herself because she was driving the car. Their mother can't deal and starts compulsively shopping out of grief. The girls' aunt has to move in to take care of them all.
To More...
May 05, 2011
Merideth
rated it:
http://meridethsays.blogspot.com/2011/05...
Summary: Meredith lost her dad months ago in a car wreck caused by her sister Heather. Now, Heather has become an emo poster-child and Mom is a shopoholic. But when the amazingly handsome and charismatic Adrien St. Germain moves to town, Heather falls instantly in love. Meredith however, senses something not right about Adrien, and seeks answers in the decrepit house next door. But, can she believe what she sees?
What Worked: The writ More...
Summary: Meredith lost her dad months ago in a car wreck caused by her sister Heather. Now, Heather has become an emo poster-child and Mom is a shopoholic. But when the amazingly handsome and charismatic Adrien St. Germain moves to town, Heather falls instantly in love. Meredith however, senses something not right about Adrien, and seeks answers in the decrepit house next door. But, can she believe what she sees?
What Worked: The writ More...
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Apr 15, 2011
Seanean
rated it:
http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/2011/0...
It's only been a few months since Meredith and Heather lost their father in a horrible car accident when Heather was driving. Things haven't gotten better for them. Heather still blames herself. Meredith still doesn't know how to talk to her. Their mother spends every free moment using "retail therapy" to try and make the pain go away. And an aunt has moved in with her twin sons to try and keep the family running.
Now t More...
It's only been a few months since Meredith and Heather lost their father in a horrible car accident when Heather was driving. Things haven't gotten better for them. Heather still blames herself. Meredith still doesn't know how to talk to her. Their mother spends every free moment using "retail therapy" to try and make the pain go away. And an aunt has moved in with her twin sons to try and keep the family running.
Now t More...
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Dec 29, 2010
Karissa
rated it:
I got an advanced copy of this e-book through netgalley.com. It sounded like an interesting premise; basically a Romeo and Juliet storyline with zombies. It ended up being okay, but was mainly just a creepy teen horror story.
Meredith thinks the new next door neighbor guy, Adrien, is a real creep and it isn't until she sees some odd things around his house that she thinks maybe he is more than just creepy; maybe he is even serial killer like. Her sister Heather has had a rough time More...
Meredith thinks the new next door neighbor guy, Adrien, is a real creep and it isn't until she sees some odd things around his house that she thinks maybe he is more than just creepy; maybe he is even serial killer like. Her sister Heather has had a rough time More...
Dec 14, 2010
Peep (Pop! Pop!)
rated it:
So lately, for reasons I do not know myself, I have been reading a ton of creepy books. The Cellar certainly fits into that category.
So you know, it's not your typical YA horror as this one actually puts you in the head of the bad guy. I don't think it was a great idea since I actually liked him at times and wanted him to succeed. Yes, succeed at eating your brains.
I kinda like books with zombies. I don't know why. I just do. The zombies in this one are smart and can think a More...
So you know, it's not your typical YA horror as this one actually puts you in the head of the bad guy. I don't think it was a great idea since I actually liked him at times and wanted him to succeed. Yes, succeed at eating your brains.
I kinda like books with zombies. I don't know why. I just do. The zombies in this one are smart and can think a More...
Jul 21, 2011
TheBookSmugglers
rated it:
Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/07/book...
Things haven’t been the same at home since that one fated night a year earlier, when Heather swerved into oncoming traffic, getting into an accident that ended her father’s – riding in the passenger seat – life. Since then, Heather and Meredith’s mother has disconnected with emotion and responsibility by spending all her time shopping at the mall, and Heather has fallen from star student to depressed More...
Things haven’t been the same at home since that one fated night a year earlier, when Heather swerved into oncoming traffic, getting into an accident that ended her father’s – riding in the passenger seat – life. Since then, Heather and Meredith’s mother has disconnected with emotion and responsibility by spending all her time shopping at the mall, and Heather has fallen from star student to depressed More...
Oct 17, 2010
Chanelle
rated it:
I didn't know what to expect from this book when I first picked it up. From the brief description, I gathered I'd probably like it (love zombies when they're done right), but the comparison with Romeo and Juliet really threw me. I couldn't see how it would work.
But it did work. The only thing for me that didn't work was the switch from first person to third person. If you want other people's perspectives, just stick to third person for the whole thing. It really did confuse me when one More...
But it did work. The only thing for me that didn't work was the switch from first person to third person. If you want other people's perspectives, just stick to third person for the whole thing. It really did confuse me when one More...
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Jul 19, 2011
Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
rated it:
The reason I wanted to read The Cellar was because it advertised itself as Romeo and Juliet with zombies, only not in a Quirk classics way. That sounded like it could be hilarious. It wasn't for an assortment of reasons. 1: It took itself way too seriously. 2: Having the school do a modern version of Romeo and Juliet does not make this a modernization of said play; the story has to back it up. 3: These zombies are totally not following the rules and are, perhaps, other fantastical creatures. All
More...
Apr 03, 2011
Chelsea
rated it:
From the very moment Meredith Willis meets the new guy Adrien St. Germain at school, she is repulsed by him. He wears dark sunglasses all the time and she sees hidden, sinister things whenever he is near. Her sister Heather, however, is a different story. It seems Adrien has inexplicably picked her out of the crowd and chosen her to be his girl. Which also includes trying out for the school play, where Heather is Juliet, and Adrien is picked to be Romeo. But Meredith is set on finding out exactl
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Mar 25, 2011
Darkfallen
rated it:
This ARC was provided from the great folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley, and I thank you!!
So WOW this is a scary, horror filled, creepy skin crawl inducing, not to be read alone in the dark, version of Romeo and Juliet.....and I LOVED it!!! This book will creep you out and drawl you in faster than you can say "boogieman." You don't even have to be a big Romeo & Juliet, or Shakespeare fan to enjoy this book.
First the Tragedy<b/>
Due More...
So WOW this is a scary, horror filled, creepy skin crawl inducing, not to be read alone in the dark, version of Romeo and Juliet.....and I LOVED it!!! This book will creep you out and drawl you in faster than you can say "boogieman." You don't even have to be a big Romeo & Juliet, or Shakespeare fan to enjoy this book.
First the Tragedy<b/>
Due More...
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Jan 28, 2011
Sandy
rated it:
A.J. Whitten's The Cellar is supposed to be a mix of zombies and Romeo and Juliet. I could have done with more Romeo and Juliet and less zombies. The horror in this book isn't very "I'm going to have nightmares for weeks because of this"--it felt more just gratuitous. However, for the segment of young adult readers who enjoy horror lite with a smattering of Twilight, this will be enjoyable.
Personally, I would have liked if this story stayed with a third-person narrative. Th More...
Personally, I would have liked if this story stayed with a third-person narrative. Th More...
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Jan 19, 2011
Kate
rated it:
I read this ARC via Netgalley.
Meredith and Heather are sisters just trying to get over the death of their father in a car accident. Heather especially is taking it hard, since since she was the one driving, and Meredith has been trying to keep Heather going. After a new guy, Adrien, arrives at school, Heather's attitude does a 360. Adrien is interested in her, while every girl in school thinks Adrien is totally hot - except for Meredith. She sees what's behind those reflective su More...
Meredith and Heather are sisters just trying to get over the death of their father in a car accident. Heather especially is taking it hard, since since she was the one driving, and Meredith has been trying to keep Heather going. After a new guy, Adrien, arrives at school, Heather's attitude does a 360. Adrien is interested in her, while every girl in school thinks Adrien is totally hot - except for Meredith. She sees what's behind those reflective su More...
Mar 28, 2011
Cleffairy
rated it:
Reviewed at: Over a Cuppa Tea
Date reviewed: 28 Feb 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=4876
I was looking for something different to read, and therefore, I picked up a book that has been long forgotten in my ebook library. The Cellar is actually a very interesting book about a girl who is dating the undead. While the storyline is abit familiar to those vampire books that I’ve been reading lately, I found that this book has it’s own charm.
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Date reviewed: 28 Feb 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=4876
I was looking for something different to read, and therefore, I picked up a book that has been long forgotten in my ebook library. The Cellar is actually a very interesting book about a girl who is dating the undead. While the storyline is abit familiar to those vampire books that I’ve been reading lately, I found that this book has it’s own charm.
More...
Nov 23, 2011
Though this book has been out since the spring of '11,
it JUST caught my eye as I was glancing
through our newer younger adult titles. I'm not sure what
compelled me to physically pick it up, other than the reference
sentence leading into the title:
"Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead in..."
Really Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead?
Zombies?
Hmmm...Though I'm a fan of watching Zombie TV, I generally don't read zombie books, but I More...
it JUST caught my eye as I was glancing
through our newer younger adult titles. I'm not sure what
compelled me to physically pick it up, other than the reference
sentence leading into the title:
"Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead in..."
Really Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead?
Zombies?
Hmmm...Though I'm a fan of watching Zombie TV, I generally don't read zombie books, but I More...
Jan 01, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
It probably says something about my warped reading choices that I was hoping for some serious zombie romance when I first picked this book up. Instead of hot zombie action I got creepy, crawly, bugs-across-your-flesh horror with a side order of devoured brains. Now, I don't have a problem with a little gratuitous cannibalization. Hey, it happens. And really, once you're a zombie are you still considered human? I mean, are they their own species? If they are, we don't have any cannibalizati
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Jan 16, 2011
Stacey
rated it:
Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.
But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school More...
But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school More...
Oct 24, 2010
Heather
rated it:
When I came across this title on NetGalley last week, the description seemed interesting so I thought I'd give it a shot. So I continued my forray into the young adult horror world (started with Hunger a few weeks ago).
Sisters Heather and Meredith are still hurting from the accidental death of their father, but each in their own ways. Extrovert Heather, who was in the car accident with her father, turned inward and stopped participating in drama club as well as dumped her boyfriend. More...
Sisters Heather and Meredith are still hurting from the accidental death of their father, but each in their own ways. Extrovert Heather, who was in the car accident with her father, turned inward and stopped participating in drama club as well as dumped her boyfriend. More...
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May 01, 2011
Kaitlyn
rated it:
I like how the cover to this one is creepy. Basements are quite scary, aren’t they? The idea of plunging yourself into darkness below the Earth’s surface. Scary.
I loved the twist on zombies in this one. It was interesting that they have the ability to transfer their souls into another body once their own has wasted away [looking like an actual zombie]. They also could think, emote and feel unlike many other zombies. This was a nice, quick read with likable characters and a nice plot. More...
I loved the twist on zombies in this one. It was interesting that they have the ability to transfer their souls into another body once their own has wasted away [looking like an actual zombie]. They also could think, emote and feel unlike many other zombies. This was a nice, quick read with likable characters and a nice plot. More...
Apr 13, 2011
Enjee
rated it:
I received an early ebook from NetGalley.
This is a YA book with zombies. More than just brains are eaten.
POV is confusing. Meredith speaks in the first person, while we the reader see/hear what Heather is thinking in the third person while Meredith is not present.
Heather is a cautionary tale for teens driving while using a cell phone. Heather feels tremendous guilt about the accident that killed her father and brought such pain to her mother and sister. Then the new boy moves More...
This is a YA book with zombies. More than just brains are eaten.
POV is confusing. Meredith speaks in the first person, while we the reader see/hear what Heather is thinking in the third person while Meredith is not present.
Heather is a cautionary tale for teens driving while using a cell phone. Heather feels tremendous guilt about the accident that killed her father and brought such pain to her mother and sister. Then the new boy moves More...
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Feb 09, 2011
Wendy
rated it:
The Cellar by A.J. Whitten is not your typical Young Adult Zombie story. It's more of a love story taking the premise of Romeo and Juliet with a horror slant. Heather and Meredith are sisters that recently lost their father to a tragic accident. Since the accident Heather has become withdrawn while Meredith starts to see things. Not long after, new neighbors move in across the street, Adrien St. Germaine and his "mother" Marie who are zombies. Marie is consistently looking for a n
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Feb 12, 2011
Ems (Darth_Chic)
rated it:
I've always been on the fence about horror novels, and zombies in particular. While I kind of liked this one a little bit, it reminded me why I generally steer clear of zombies. They're just gross. These ones were no exception. Except that maybe they were a little grosser than usual because of the bugs.
When Adrien first showed up at school, I'll admit that I had a major crush on him. I knew there was something up, but come on. Who DOESN'T like a guy who marches to the beat of his own More...
When Adrien first showed up at school, I'll admit that I had a major crush on him. I knew there was something up, but come on. Who DOESN'T like a guy who marches to the beat of his own More...
Apr 25, 2011
Ashelynn
rated it:
This book is deliciously creepy. I liked it a lot. It was hard to get into at first, especially the first 100, 150 pages or so, but afterwards I couldn't stop reading it. I had to know how it ended.
Meredith has been trying to keep her family together after her dad died in a car accident. Things haven't been the same since, and when a new family moves in next door, Meredith's creep-o-meter goes off. When Heather, Meredith's sister, starts dating Adrien, the boy next door, Meredith's c More...
Meredith has been trying to keep her family together after her dad died in a car accident. Things haven't been the same since, and when a new family moves in next door, Meredith's creep-o-meter goes off. When Heather, Meredith's sister, starts dating Adrien, the boy next door, Meredith's c More...
