My Life as a White Trash Zombie (White Trash Zombie, #1)

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My Life as a White Trash Zombie (White Trash Zombie #1)

by Diana Rowland (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 3,095 ratings · 644 reviews

Angel Crawford is a loser

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she w...more

Mass Market Paperback, 310 pages

Published July 5th 2011 by DAW (first published May 25th 2011)

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Jul 17, 2011 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies-zombies-everywhere, urban-fantasy, wake-me-up-next-year, huge-disappointment, never-saw-it-coming, reviewed-in-2011

Angel Crawford is 21 years old, addicted to pills and in an on-again off-again relationship with another addict, Randy. After the death of her insane and abusive mother, she was left to live with her alcoholic and no less abusive father. She’s a high school dropout, can’t keep any job for more than a few weeks and she’s even on probation for buying a stolen car.

At the beginning of My Life as a White Trash Zombie, Angel wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of the events that occurred th...more Angel Crawford is 21 years old, addicted to pills and in an on-again off-again relationship with another addict, Randy. After the death of her insane and abusive mother, she was left to live with her alcoholic and no less abusive father. She’s a high school dropout, can’t keep any job for more than a few weeks and she’s even on probation for buying a stolen car.

At the beginning of My Life as a White Trash Zombie, Angel wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of the events that occurred the night before. She supposedly overdosed, but she doesn’t remember taking that many pills at all. While still in the hospital, she gets an anonymous letter saying that she has to start driving a van for the coroner’s office or she will be reported to her probation officer. It doesn’t take her long to realize that she’s developed an appetite for brains which helps her figure out exactly how much has changed in the night of her ‘overdose’.

This was not as good as I hoped it would be, not even close. And the worst part is that I love Diana Rowland so much, I love her other series (Kara Gillian), and I absolutely adore her critique partner, Nicole Peeler. With all that love in the air, I have to wonder, what went wrong?!?
I was in such a hurry to read this book that I bought the Kindle edition while I was waiting for my paperback to arrive. Really, 10 days is such a long time! I could have saved myself the trouble, though, buying it once was more than enough. I’m not saying it’s a bad book, I can’t even find anything seriously wrong with it, I just didn’t care about Angel or her story that much.
My other problem is that it wasn’t funny at all. Rowland probably spoiled me with her Kara Gillian series which, despite being a police procedural, has its moments of hilarity. Things that were probably meant to be cute and/or funny in My Life as a White Trash Zombie were mostly just over the top and annoying.

I’m asking you to take my review with a grain of salt. I haven’t been in the right mood for urban fantasy lately and that might have something to do with my opinion of this book. Diana Rowland is still one of my favorite urban fantasy authors and I fully intend to read everything she writes in the future.
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18 likes · like · see review

Aug 19, 2011 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies-like-brains, urban-fantasy, owned-ebook, adult

3.5 stars

Angel Crawford was your typical white trash chick with a pill popping addiction living with her alcoholic dad in Lousiana. That is, until she woke up in the hospital after being in a car accident with no memory of what had happened to her. She finds a note addressed to her telling her about a job that she is required to take or she’ll end up dead… thinking this is a note from her parole officer and that she’s being threatened with jail she opts to take the job instead. The job turns out...more

11 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2011 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Five stars: Immediately purchase and devour this book. It is awesome! A whole new take on zombies. Fresh and hysterically funny. Don't miss this one!
What I loved about this book:
*Angel, she rocks! There are so many aspects of her character that I found captivating. First is her transformation. Angel starts the story as trailer trash. She is plagued with an alcohol and pill problem, she cannot hold down a job, she has an abusive, alcoholic father with whom she lives in a run down dump of a house...more Five stars: Immediately purchase and devour this book. It is awesome! A whole new take on zombies. Fresh and hysterically funny. Don't miss this one!
What I loved about this book:
*Angel, she rocks! There are so many aspects of her character that I found captivating. First is her transformation. Angel starts the story as trailer trash. She is plagued with an alcohol and pill problem, she cannot hold down a job, she has an abusive, alcoholic father with whom she lives in a run down dump of a house with a beer can driveway. When Angel wakes up in the hospital after an apparent overdose, unbeknowst to her she has already started to change. Angel was turned into a zombie but she has no knowledge of the event As a zombie she is a normal functioning human except she needs to eat brains every two to three days to prevent herself from decaying. Her new zombie state helps her shed the chemical dependency. Then she begins to excel at and even enjoy her new job at the morgue. All of these factors convert Angel to a happy, contributing member of society. The beauty of Angel, is that evolving into a zombie improves her status instead of reducing her to the moaning, crazed, non-functioning creature that we attribute to this genre.
*The book has three storylines; Angel's evolvement and two distinct mysteries. The first story thread is for her to learn and adapt to her new zombie condition while trying to discover how and why she was converted into a zombie. The second plot involves Angel seeking the indentity of the person who infected her. Whoever transfigured Angel leaves only a couple of cryptic letters with clues to her metamorphisis. This person also secures her position at the morgue where she has access to essential brains. The third storyline follows Angel as she tracks down the individual responsible for killing and beheading people. Is it another zombie? These three themes all converge to make a great story. I particularly enjoyed the mysterious aspect of the book.
*This book is truly hysterically funny. I snickered and laughed at Angel's sarcastic banter. There is one specific commentary regarding Angel's views on people saying "if you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask", in Angel's mind people should be offering to come and clean your kitchen instead of making these disingenuous statements. This snarky commentary is what makes the book. It is indeed laugh out loud funny!

And the not so much:
*The morgue setting and all the descriptions of autopsy and embalming procedures while tactfully done might be a little over the top for some readers. As well as all the slurping and ingesting of brains. Don't let this deter you. This book is totally worth it!
*I wanted more resolution between Angel and her father. Angel progresses so far in her character development I felt that this was a key aspect that was not realized. Perhaps their relationship will continue on the road to recovery in future installments.
*I wish there was a little more background information into the zombie condition. Ms. Rowland's zombies are not your typical zombies. It would be beneficial to be further educated in her ideas of "zombieism" .

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was funny, snarky, unique and just a good time. The cover alone is worth the price of admission. I was thrilled to learn that this is the start of a new series. I am excited to see where Angel and her new found Zombie Super Powers will lead her. In my opinion this is a must read! Get it today and put it on the top of your TBR pile and be prepared to laugh your butt off! Then when you are done can you come and clean my kitchen?!(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 MISS VAIN rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: diana-rowland, series-that-i-m-obsessed-with

"It reminds me of an old joke: What did the Zombie say to the whore?"
I looked at him blankly. "Um....what?"
He winked. "Keep the tip."

Okay so you will only understand this joke if you read the book. There's your incentive ;)

I LOVE the fact that Diana Rowland chose a self loathing, drug addict, unemployed high school dropout as the protagonist in My Life As a White Trash Zombie.I guess you could say I have a soft spot in my heart for an abused underdog. Something about these characters...more

13 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Vivian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, first-in-series, read-2012, re-read

Re-read July 2012

I decided I'm simply a fan of Diana Rowland and will happily try out any book she writes.

Original review July 2011

4 stars, 5 stars? Either way, loved it. I downloaded the sample for my Kindle, and couldn't resist buying and devouring it immediately. I wanted to stop and savor the book, but once I started, literally couldn't put it down. There are the laugh out loud moments and sarcastic dialogue I expect with my UFs, a bit of a Hallmark movie sweetness, an interesting murder mys...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 29, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-releases, urban-fantasy, zombies

*Rating* 3.5
*Genre* Mystery/Suspense/Romance/Zombies

*Review*

Angel Crawford is a 21 year old abuser of drugs and alcohol, as well as a high school dropout who suddenly finds that she is waking up in a hospital with no memories of how she got there or what happened to her. She is told by a nurse that she overdosed on drugs. She may also have been a witness to a murder that happened in the same area in which she was found naked.

The truth, however, is much different than the actual facts present the...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arrg-brains, bd, hostages-in-my-house-and-kindle, crime-murder, here-there-be-dragons-and-damsels, favorites, its-alive, paramormal, read-2012, scrumptious-books

“I'm finally getting my life together. Too bad I had to die first.”

My Life As a White Trash Zombie is the fantastic story of Angel, a drugged out loser, who gets a second chance at turning her life around, only catch is, she is now a Zombie.

I'm sure the wonderful people who read my reviews, or even just talk to me, know that I love my zombies. While Warm Bodies opened my eyes to the thinking, talking, loving zombie, My Life As a White Trash Zombie has blown my mind on this new versions of zombi...more

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May 04, 2012 Fiction Fool rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone! It's that good.

Rating: (♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥)

I followed his lead and pulled my mask off, then froze. All of a sudden it seemed as if I could smell the brain, and not in an oh-how-gross way, but as if someone had taken the lid off a pot of gumbo and let the aroma fill the room. And I knew it was the brain that smelled so utterly enticing--knew it with all of my being.

What the hell was wrong with me?

To my shock and horror my mouth began to water and my stomach gave a loud growl--loud enough for the others to hear. Both of

...more Rating: (♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥)

I followed his lead and pulled my mask off, then froze. All of a sudden it seemed as if I could smell the brain, and not in an oh-how-gross way, but as if someone had taken the lid off a pot of gumbo and let the aroma fill the room. And I knew it was the brain that smelled so utterly enticing--knew it with all of my being.

What the hell was wrong with me?

To my shock and horror my mouth began to water and my stomach gave a loud growl--loud enough for the others to hear. Both of them turned to look at me and Dr. Leblanc gave a laugh. "Okay, you're officially the toughest morgue tech who's ever worked here if you can still be hungry during an autopsy!"

Can a Zombie novel be disgusting and sweet? Apparently so. My Life as A White Trash Zombie has a little bit of everything in it; mystery, suspense, romance, and humor mixed with brains, blood, murder and "zombie superpowers!" It's a unique, paranormal ride with some emotional self-discovery and feel good moments mixed together.

I freaking LOVE this book! It's no secret that I've loved and admired the cover since it was first revealed, right down to the "I Love Brain's" tattoo on Angel's shoulder. But when I finally had the book in my hands and ready to read, I couldn't help wondering how the heck Diana Rowland was going to pull off a Zombie novel with the main character actually being the Zombie, instead of the other way around. And I also worried how she'd pull off a Zombie romance. The answer is, very creatively. Honestly, there's really not much romance in this story. What little there is, is very sweetly done and enough to satisfy. Never fear, though, you won't really miss it with everything else going on. Your mind will be fully engaged and occupied from start to finish in this very clever, Zombie mystery.

On the back of the book, the summary starts out by saying, Angel Crawford is a loser," And as I read through the first few chapters I realized... wow, Angel Crawford really is a loser. It made me worry how I was ever going to connect with or care about her character. She wasn't really someone I'd want to root for as a heroine. Angel's a slacking, potty-mouthed failure who can't hold a job, keeps making terrible choices and hanging around deplorable people. But as I continued to read, I learned more about what made Angel the way she is in the first place; understanding blossomed, and things started to fall into place. Plus, her character matures as the story progresses and she starts making better decisions for herself. Who knew it would only take becoming a brain eating Zombie to initiate such an awakening?

After reading the summary I made the quick assumption that the serial killer decapitating bodies just when Angel is her hungriest, is somehow supplying Angel with dead bodies on purpose to keep her alive. Yes, I know it's obvious, I'm a Zombie novice. But after a few chapters, I realized it's the exact opposite. Zombie's eat brains and decapitated bodies don't have heads... or brains. Thus, the "oh crap" factor comes into play and this truly becomes a problem in more ways than one. As one character in the book stated, "Things go downhill fast," and they definitely weren't exaggerating. Being a Zombie isn't what I'd call "romantic" like the vampire, shifter novels flooding the paranormal genre. Starting to rot, stink and fall apart can play havoc with your work and social life. But Diana Rowland manages to blend romantic and gross together quite successfully. Her background as a detective, cop, morgue assistant and crime scene investigator really shows in her writing. I was impressed with the amount of complex details included in the novel that add to Angel's many experiences working with dead bodies. I definitely felt more educated, in a morbid sort of way, on the inner workings of a morgue and the type of people who might work there.

My final verdict? I was definitely rooting for Angel by the end of the book and quite proud of her too. She grows up, gets clarity in her life, makes difficult choices and learns to respect and value herself in the process. It was creepy and disgusting while also managing to have fun, sweet and endearing moments. Very nicely done and truly worth your time. I certainly hope this is only the first in a planned series because I'd definitely love to read more about Angel Crawford's adventures as a brain eating morgue tech.

I would recommend My Life as A White Trash Zombie to fans of Zombie fiction, of course. That's pretty obvious from the start. But it should also be read by, well... ANYONE. It's that good.

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4 likes · like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Wendy F rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, urban-fantasy, zombies

Well! How fun was that! An Urban Fantasy about a zombie, complete with humor, action, and even a love interest. (view spoiler)

I enjoyed Angel. I thought she was self-deprecating in a humorous...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: whodunit-supernatural, urban-fantasy, group-read

This was a pretty fun book, and I will say it was nice to be a bit of a departure from the usual UF stuff. I mean, in some ways it wasn't since it was still, essentially, a whodunit with supernatural elements, but it didn't have the usual private eye vibe, which was nice.

That said, as I started reading this book I definitely got the impression that it was originally imagined as a new vampire kind of book and then the author thought "Nah, vampires are so passe. I know - I'll make her a zombie ins...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Lupdilup Duffy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

I don't think I'll be able to eat tapioca, ever again, or bread pudding.. damm!, and for some reason fry chicken is border line. This book is more like 4. 1/2 stars for me. The originality was exceptional; a least for me. This is my first Zombie book ( I don't do zombies) and I love that it kept me glue to the pages, ( every time I could pick it up, that's why I do audiobooks, hard to find the time to seat and enjoy a book in the summer time) and I can't deny that the subject of eating any kind...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Anelis rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: zombie fans, paranormal fans, anyone who wants a light but exciting mystery

Shelves: horror, zombies, romance, reviewed

This was my first Diana Rowland book, so I had no expectations whatsoever. I'm not going to describe the plot nor write spoilers.

description

Before reading the book I LOVED it's cover. In fact I picked it up solely because of it's cool pink zombie cover. I mean look at it! It's pink, with a beautiful woman, piercings, blood, don't-give-a-damn look...what's not to like?
But I must admit it, again because of the cover I didn't expect it to be any good. I was just in the mood for a bad paranormal romance novel...more

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 BarkLessWagMore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

3 1/2 stars

I have wanted to read this book ever since I first saw the fabulous cover on someone’s blog. It’s really eye catching, isn't it? Talk about a lucky author. And best of all, it fits its main character Angel perfectly. Well, I finally made time to read it and, uh, I’m glad I did but I didn't expect it to take nearly a month to get through.

The book starts out when Angel wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she ended up there. She's told she overdosed and she figures it c...more 3 1/2 stars

I have wanted to read this book ever since I first saw the fabulous cover on someone’s blog. It’s really eye catching, isn't it? Talk about a lucky author. And best of all, it fits its main character Angel perfectly. Well, I finally made time to read it and, uh, I’m glad I did but I didn't expect it to take nearly a month to get through.

The book starts out when Angel wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she ended up there. She's told she overdosed and she figures it could have happened, she really is no angel, and though she vaguely remembers a crash she isn't injured. As she's making haste to get home, she's given a bag with a note and a cooler filled with bottles of some sort of chunky goo. The note explains that she is being offered a job at the morgue and that she must accept it, as well as drink the goo, OR ELSE. She sees this as a bit of good luck since she’s a self-professed loser and screw-upper and decides to follow the demands of the anonymous letter. What the hell, her life can't get any worse right?

Angel drinks the bottled “shakes” and realizes it's pretty good, if a wee bit chunky and meaty tasting. At the morgue, she realizes she's going to be driving around dead bodies and assisting in autopsies. It skeeves her out at first but like the shakes, she realizes she enjoys it, especially when she sniffs her first human brain and her stomach starts growling. What is going on? Even though the title does kind of give away the game, I’ll let you guess.

So basically the rest of the book follows Angel as she struggles with her new and improved self (the shakes make her feel good, enhance her senses a little and make her stronger), meets some interesting guys, deals with her drunken dad, gets embroiled in a decapitation mystery and gets past her white trash upbringing and realizes life may just have something to offer other than booze, drugs and horrible boyfriends. She grows up quite a bit during this book. Yay Angel.

Angel's voice is sarcastic and self-deprecating, she’s funny and she’s crabby and sometimes she’s a defensive bitch but she’s also an optimist who takes all of the changes in her life in stride. I liked her a lot. Despite her rough upbringing she still has a soft heart and her relationships are complicated and believable. She doesn't blame her mistakes on the world and isn't a poor me type. She knows she’s a mess and knows that a lot of it is entirely her own fault.

But alas, something is off with the pacing and parts of the book are soooo draggy with very little going on that I literally had to force myself to keep going. I’m glad I did because the ending is satisfying and answers many of the questions that came up while reading. But again, it took me nearly 3 weeks to finish a 310 page book so I can’t rate it as highly as I’d like to. I think if you’re looking for a fun (albeit sometimes slow) zombie tale with edgy charm, decently drawn characters, a wee bit of gore and zero sappiness you’ll find a lot to like here.
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Jul 12, 2011 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I went back and forth from 3 stars to 4 stars. I'm actually settling on 3.5 stars. The middle was really slow & I was bored. However, the ending really made up for it. I think book 2 is going to rock though and I really love Angel and someone else that is revealed at the very end of the book (yeah, I'm so excited for book 2 to see what happens with this character).

As for the boredom, I think Rowland was just trying to establish Angel's identity as a zombie. I do think it was necessary as Ang...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Toree rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is so much more than just a beautiful cover. The storyline was very captive. Very good twist at the end. If your into urban fantasy and white trash zombies that makes a life change, then i encourage to judge a book by it's cover for this book. It was EXTREMLY awesome!!!!

2 likes · like · see review

May 22, 2013 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, review-on-blog, urban-fantasy

I am not usually a zombie reader. I am totally cool reading books that have zombies as monsters, but when it comes to a book where a zombie is the protagonist, I have my reservations. I have no problems with vampires drinking blood or shifters tearing into things, but the thought of surviving off of brains...that creeps me out. However, so many people recommended this book to me, both in print, and in audio. In fact, people LOVED the audio so much that I figured I should give My Life as A White...more I am not usually a zombie reader. I am totally cool reading books that have zombies as monsters, but when it comes to a book where a zombie is the protagonist, I have my reservations. I have no problems with vampires drinking blood or shifters tearing into things, but the thought of surviving off of brains...that creeps me out. However, so many people recommended this book to me, both in print, and in audio. In fact, people LOVED the audio so much that I figured I should give My Life as A White Trash Zombie a try. Surprisingly, to me, I found myself enjoying this book.

Angel is a mess of a protagonist. She doesn't take care of herself, doesn't think much of herself, and doesn't really try to better herself. When she wakes up in the hospital after suffering an "overdose," her life takes a whole new turn. She gets a job working for the coroner's office, finds that she's not overly disgusted by dead bodies, and suddenly her staple drugs don't have the same effect on her. Angel has somehow been made into a zombie. She struggles to understand and accept her new circumstances and she starts growing into a real person, more than the loser girl who was numb to life.

I loved the story line of this book. I liked Angel's transformation, how she started to see herself differently and want more from life. She started putting in effort and making new friends. She is far from a perfect person, she makes bad decisions all the time, and can be a little slow to put things together, but she really does try and I came to like and respect her. However, it took me awhile to get into the story. It's the zombie thing, I was fairly disgusted at times by the brains and dead bodies (there were times while listening when my face was a definite grimace). It took some time for me to acclimate to the "eat brains to not decompose" thing. I did, slowly, get used to it, and I wound up enjoying the story. The characters were very well-developed, as was the setting. I was curious about who was behind killings and turning Angel. I became hooked on the story, and by the end of the book, I found I wanted more.

The narration was done really well. The voices were consistent, and the delivery was consistent with the characters. Allison McLemore did a fantastic job with the narration, and I will definitely listen to audiobooks narrated by her in the future.

Thank you to all you readers who recommended this book to me. I really don't think that I would have given this one a try and stuck it out otherwise. I have found a new author and series to follow, I'm looking forward to listening to book 2, Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues, on audio. For any of you other readers hesistent like I was, give this book a go.

*This review was first published to Book Savvy Babes blog.*
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May 14, 2013 Lindie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Angel Crawford’s life isn’t exactly a can of peaches, but things are about to get much worse. She wakes up in the hospital, where she’s told she overdosed and was found naked by the side of the road. Then she receives a package telling her to report to duty at the morgue, and here’s a snack to keep her tide over. The snack is a greyish fluid with tapioca like floaty parts. Angel expects it to be disgusting, but it turns out to be the most delicious thing she can remember eating. At least, until...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Sheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book, humorous, paranormal

I have never wanted to read a zombie book before and have made a point to stay away from them. The whole concept of zombies grosses me out and I never thought I could like a zombie character. The only reason I gave this book a try was because the sample I listened to was great. The reader did a fantastic job with the voices and the sample was so funny. I decided to take a leap of faith and buy the book and I am so glad that I did. This doesn't mean I am ready to go seek out other zombie books, b...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Jessica Booth rated it 5 of 5 stars

A zombie book that is uplifting?! This was so much fun I could not put it down- dangerous when I really don't have time to read for fun during the semester. I can't get all of my REQUIRED reading done in the time I have.

Actually, let me back up a bit- I never would have picked this book out for myself. One, it is pink. Two, not that into zombies, or really anything that goes in the horror/thriller category. Three, not at all find of anyone being called trash, whether I like them or not. SOMEONE...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Mike James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Angel Crawford crawled out of the swamp naked. Instead of OD'ing on drugs and alcohol, she gets a 2nd chance to get her life together. But why does she have this craving for brains? And who was her secret benefactor? Smart idea to get her a job in the Coroner's Office, though. I mean, it's not like you can go to Piggly Wiggly and pick up a jar of brains, right?

OK, there are some really good parts to the story. Angel is really a likeable woman/zombie. I cheered her on as she tried to straighten h...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vaginal-fantasy

I didn't quite know what to expect with this book. I'm not usually really into the zombie lore, and the idea of a zombie protagonist seemed odd. But I was incredibly pleasantly surprised by this book! It was a fun, quick read. The protagonist, Angel, is an unusual one: she doesn't have much (any?) self-discipline, is full of vices, is nothing special, and has little (no?) self esteem. But when she dies and is turned into a zombie, that acts as the impetus for her turning her life around (which i...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was expecting this book to be pretty bad. Zombies are not particularly interesting to me and neither is white trash so I was surprised at how much I liked this book. Rowland's zombies deteriorate if they do not eat enough brains to maintain themselves. Eating brains allows them to heal any deterioration and gives them super-human strength and speed. Drugs and alcohol have no effect on them except to dull their senses not unlike being sleep deprived. Other than this, they're exactly like regula...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish, zombies

I enjoyed this book, and what I read of it, it seemed decent enough.

It seemed like the author had really done her research, I liked this particular twist on zombies, I like anything to do with the south. It was nice to have a main character who was a drug addict too. (I felt I could identify more with her than stories where the main character is overweight and has low self esteem a la Bridget Jones >_> )

It felt sadly realistic tbh, and I can imagine people like that existing in real life....more

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Nov 10, 2012 Vee P rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I recently joined the Vaginal Fantasy Group after watching an episode on Youtube (already a fan of Geek & Sundry!). I actually don't read sci-fi or fantasy-related books that deal with vampires, zombies, etc. The closest thing I've ever read about fantasy was the Harry Potter books lol. Well does the Goosebumps books from R.L. Stine count (who a 90's baby?!)?! So I figured why not join the book club and expand my geeky horizons `=D

I was hesitant to read my first fantasy book about zombies. I...more I recently joined the Vaginal Fantasy Group after watching an episode on Youtube (already a fan of Geek & Sundry!). I actually don't read sci-fi or fantasy-related books that deal with vampires, zombies, etc. The closest thing I've ever read about fantasy was the Harry Potter books lol. Well does the Goosebumps books from R.L. Stine count (who a 90's baby?!)?! So I figured why not join the book club and expand my geeky horizons `=D

I was hesitant to read my first fantasy book about zombies. I was never really into the zombie culture but recently all I keep hearing about is how great 'The Walking Dead' is and how I must watch the TV series & read the comic books. This book seemed like a step in the right direction for my curiosity.

Overall, I thought the book was decent. It was easy to read yet I felt the story line to be slow. Diana did an awesome job on character development. The background story behind Angel and her family was really good. I liked how thorough she got into describing how Angel was 'white trash'. But sometimes it seemed like the story was progressing slowly.. almost like how you go see a 2 hour movie only to realize it would have been better if it was 1 hr. & 1/2 long.

At times I was confused as to which guy was the main focus on a love story. It was obvious that Marcus would be the main love interest but a lot of guys were added into the mix (ex. Randy, Nick, Ed in the beginning, etc.). For me, the last 5-7 chapters is when the book got interesting and I couldn't put it down. I was so eager to know what was going on and who actually made Angel into a zombie.. it felt like a tease to wait that long to find everything out. But the ending was good that I wasn't too mad at waiting afterwards. My favorite hilarious line which I literally went LOL about is when she says "Zombie Super Powers, Activate!"

I liked how the ending set the scene for another sequel to follow, not sure if I'm willing to read it because I have a feeling the story will drag on with Ed coming back or not. But just to know what happens.. I might just read it lol. I was also disappointed with the love scenes, or the HUGE lack of it! Literally there's like two sentences of any kind of intimacy involving Angel.

What really bothered me throughout the entire book is actually the book cover. You see a really skinny girl with white blonde mohawk styled hair (dyed pink tips), multiple piercings, and a big arm tattoo while wearing a thin pink bikini top & smoking a cigarette. I totally couldn't picture Angel being that girl at all! The author never really went into detail on how Angel looked except that she was super skinny, petite, and blonde. Never once did I get the who punk-like vibe as the cover shows. Yea she's 'white trash' but you don't have to look like the cover to be 'white trash'. Also it was never mentioned once that she smoked cigarettes. Yea she smoked weed but not cigarettes. I don't know, I was totally put off by the cover. I pictured Angel to look like the rebellious crazy looking cover girl yet when I was reading, I was imagining another look for her.

I don't think I would recommend this book if you want romance & a steady paced story line. Still as my first book into the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club.. I think I found a community I see myself belong too `=] Definitely sticking around to see what's to come next.(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Kelly Fitzgerald rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't think it will surprise anyone who knows me that I would pick this up to read, I do love monster stories for what they tell us so wonderfully about ourselves. I really think that this is a fantastic book, it is funny and poignant at the same time and that isn't easy to pull off when dealing with a white trash zombie. While there are many many books about vampires and werewolves trying to come to terms with their inner monster, there are very few (and none until this one that actually work...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, horror

This book reminds me of the Anita Blake Novels. There are quite a few similarities. Both have strong female characters with a strained relationship towards their parents, they are tough girls with insecurities and personal problems. The big difference between Anita and Angel is that Angel has thrown most of her life away on drugs and alcohol and struggles to find herself. Anita on the other hand has dedicated her life to eradicating evil and has a strong Christian faith and sense of self even if...more

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Nov 02, 2012 jillz rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Angel Crawford starts the story off unemployed, addicted and dead. At the end of the book she is still addicted and dead but has a job now. Halfway through the book she admits “Yeah, I wasn’t doing drugs anymore, but that sure as hell wasn’t due to any personal strength of character or anything like that. And the only reason I still had the job was because my life depended on it.” (Kindle Edition 153) Angel has traded one addiction (pills) for another (brains) and is forced to act more responsib...more Angel Crawford starts the story off unemployed, addicted and dead. At the end of the book she is still addicted and dead but has a job now. Halfway through the book she admits “Yeah, I wasn’t doing drugs anymore, but that sure as hell wasn’t due to any personal strength of character or anything like that. And the only reason I still had the job was because my life depended on it.” (Kindle Edition 153) Angel has traded one addiction (pills) for another (brains) and is forced to act more responsibly because she will die (for good) if she doesn’t. All of the good things that happen to Angel in this book are because of circumstances not because of “personal strength of character” Even the bonus bad ass zombie powers she gets from brains (healing, strength) were given to her by a man who happened to be at the right place at the right time and took pity on her. It’s even implied that her iron stomach at the autopsies and body pickups, for which she is admired by her colleagues, is due to her new zombie power.

This book felt like a lot of exposition for the rest of the series with the lame-ish mystery plot driving it sluggishly forward. I guess it would have been too much suspension of disbelief to ask your audience to jump right into a self aware zombie working for the local morgue and drinking brain slushies on a regular basis while banging her hot cop zombie boyfriend and solving mysteries. I found most of the characters very one or barely two dimensional and the stereotypes stayed stereotypes throughout the whole book.

I did enjoy a few things about this book. I really did like and appreciate the different perspective and originality (at least to me) of a self aware zombie, I just wish that there had been more of an internal conflict about eating brains. It seemed like Angel came to terms with eating brains very, very quickly. There was also a cute Mass Effect reference that I giggled at and even tweeted about. I’m also actually glad there was not much of a romance in this book because that would have grossed me out even more than all the talk of eating brains did.
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Sep 27, 2012 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun, fast read. I zoomed through the book in a few nights, and enjoyed it. Angel reminds me in some ways of Jig the goblin. She’s society’s underdog, and she knows it, but when you’re seeing life through her eyes, you can’t help but sympathize and cheer her on. Many of the secondary characters were a lot of fun too, and more than they seemed at first glance.

Rowland’s background includes a job as a morgue assistant as well as working as a street cop and detective, all of which add a lo...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Melissapalmer404 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book #60 Read in 2012
My Life as a White Trash Zombie

This is the first book in a series. Angel wakes up in the emergency room, not really remembering how she got there. She gets a note telling her that she now has a job in the coroner's office. She does not know who got her the job but she needs a job and money. Then she gets a note to eat brains. She is not sure why but this makes sense to her; she is actually craving brains. Eventually she realizes that she is a zombie.

There is someone going ar...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorites, read-in-2012, urban-fantasy

I got to the end of this book and had this sort of giddy delight over it. It was fun. It was fun and it ended on a note that left me completely satisfied. I almost needed a cigarette and cold beer, I tell you. Instead, I'll just bask in the wonderfulness of a zombie book where the zombie is a contributing member of society and actually has more prospects dead than she had alive.

Let's face it, Angel's life is in a slow spiral to nowhere before her little accident. She can't hold down a job, her d...more

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About Diana Rowland

Diana Rowland worked as a bartender, a blackjack dealer, a pit boss, a street cop, a detective, a computer forensics specialist, a crime scene investigator, and a morgue assistant, which means that she's seen a lot of weird crap. She won the marksmanship award in her Police Academy class, has a black belt in Hapkido, has handled numerous dead bodies in various states of decomposition, and can't ro...more

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“It reminds me of an old joke: What did the Zombie say to the whore?"
I looked at him blankly. "Um....what?"
He winked. "Keep the tip.” — 13 people liked it

“The over-weight and out of shape guy who owned the house had apparently decided that having a half-million dollar house meant that he couldn’t afford to hire someone to clean out his gutters. Now he was dead with what looked to me like a broken neck after the ladder had slipped. He’d taken the plunge into his fancy landscaping—complete with rock garden. But hey, his fucking gutters were clean.” — 7 people liked it

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My Life as a White Trash Zombie (White Trash Zombie #1)

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