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Girls Save the World in This One
"A ravenous read." --Kirkus ReviewsShaun of the Dead meets Clueless in this hilarious YA horror comedy set at a local zombie convention--featuring a teenage girl gang that has to save the world from a horde of actual zombies. Perfect for fans of Geekerella, Undead Girl Gang, and Anna and the Apocalypse. Mega-fan June Blue's whole life has been leading up to this ZombieCon!The Ultimate in Undead Entertainment has finally come to her hometown. She and her two best friends--gorgeous, brilliant Imani and super-sweet, outrageously silly Siggy--plan on hitting all the panels and photo ops, and meeting the heartthrob lead of their favorite zombie apocalypse show, Human Wasteland. It's going to be the best time of their lives--and one of their last adventures before they all split up for college.And when they arrive, everything seems perfect. June's definitely not going to let anything get in the wayof the flawless con experience--even though she's endlessly anxious about the SATs and college admissions,and she can't seem to avoid her ex-best friend Blair, whose VIP badge lets her walk straight to the front of every single line. No matter what, June is determined to make the best of her dream day at ZombieCon!But something's not quite right at the con--there are strange people in hazmat suits running around, enthusiastic cosplayers taking their shambling a little too far, and someone actually biting a cast member. Then, at a panel gone wrong, June and her friends discover the the zombie apocalypse is here.Now June, Imani, and Siggy must do whatever it takes to survive a horde of actual flesh-eating zombies--and save the world. A hilarious and heartfelt horror comedy, that is an ode to zombies, friendship, and girl power.Praise for Girls Save the World in This "Readers looking for all of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the zombie apocalypse will be absolutely thrilled to read this book . . . . Hand this book to anyone who likes zombie apocalyptic horror." --Booklist"This fun coming-of-age story tackles popular topics such as cons and zombies with an inclusive cast of characters, and highlights the power of friendship and strong women. For those who love zombies and action-packed books, as well as reluctant readers."--School Library Journal"An excellent read for any teen who loves thrills, action, and stories of survival." --Publishers Weekly
431 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2020
71 people are currently reading
9170 people want to read
About the author
Ash Parsons
6 books198 followersAsh Parsons is a graduate of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College as well as other, more traditional schools. She is a PEN America Literary Award Winner for the Phyllis Naylor Fellowship, and a Literary Arts Fellow for the Alabama State Council of the Arts. She previously taught English to middle and high school students, as well as teaching creative writing through Troy University’s ACCESS program and Media Studies at Auburn University. Ash has spent some time stumbling around as a zombie on The Walking Dead and lives in Alabama with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 444 reviews
December 16, 2025
I quite enjoyed this one! 😉🧟♀️
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
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August 27, 2019omg, it's a feminist zom-com..
someone give this book to me before i explode with desire
someone give this book to me before i explode with desire
April 22, 2020
Zombies are my favorite, but throw in zombies at a fan convention and there was no way I was going to skip this story.
I love love loved June and her friends. It was delightful to see three ladies completely supportive of each other, regardless of possible bad decisions and choices. I loved seeing Imani and Siggy through June's POV because her love for them is absolute and unwavering.
Plot wise, it was mostly good. There are a lot of long passages of "doing things" (yes, I know this seems like a weird way to phrase it, hence the quotes, but it's the only way that makes sense to me) and I wanted more dialogue. Once the cast of the tv show gets involved it was interesting in a different way (Hunter, I'm looking at you). The idea of battling zombies while the actors from your favorite zombie show look to you for direction was just too much fun.
Overall, it was a quick read with a group of girls I couldn't help but root for. I could have gone for a couple more chapters at the end (or even an in-the-future epilogue), but I think I'm being greedy because this slice of time was almost perfection.
**Huge thanks to Philomel for providing the arc free of charge**
I love love loved June and her friends. It was delightful to see three ladies completely supportive of each other, regardless of possible bad decisions and choices. I loved seeing Imani and Siggy through June's POV because her love for them is absolute and unwavering.
Plot wise, it was mostly good. There are a lot of long passages of "doing things" (yes, I know this seems like a weird way to phrase it, hence the quotes, but it's the only way that makes sense to me) and I wanted more dialogue. Once the cast of the tv show gets involved it was interesting in a different way (Hunter, I'm looking at you). The idea of battling zombies while the actors from your favorite zombie show look to you for direction was just too much fun.
Overall, it was a quick read with a group of girls I couldn't help but root for. I could have gone for a couple more chapters at the end (or even an in-the-future epilogue), but I think I'm being greedy because this slice of time was almost perfection.
**Huge thanks to Philomel for providing the arc free of charge**
March 26, 2021
The mc was totally in love with her best friend but no, make her love interest the fucking dudebro celebrity she has a crush on???? The clown school called and they want their book back.
Girls Save the World in This One is about a group of girls who are attending a big zombie convention in this town. Everything is going fine and they are having fun until June notices that some cosplayers are playing their role as zombies a little too well. Then a zombie outbreak happens and June and her friends have to fight for their survival.
This book was dumb as fuCK. I thought the idea was pretty cool tbh (I literally bought this book with birthday money and it really is going to do be like this??) but the idea was just wasted. Basically the first half of the book is just them waiting in line and overexplaining EVERYTHING. The waiting in lines was ridiculous and it was so boring, literally just them going to panels and signings like... please. The whole time it kept going into the backstory of the family of June's friends and every little detail about them, like we really needed to know what her best friend's sister's friend likes to do???
This entire book could have been saved even a little if it hadn't shit the romance out but it sure did. June spends 98.9% of the book going off about how gorgerous and beautiful and amazing her best friend Imani is. It was such a perfect set up of best friends to lovers amongst the chaos but no. Who is the love interest? Oh the fucking boy from the show that June is OBSSESSED with. Of course he is exactly like his character and instantly falls for June??? Why have an actual believable and well built romance when you can just have a creepy stalker romance? The bad fanfiction level is astronomical.
The zombie attack made no sense and all these people do is go back and forth and for what? The entire time it was just, let's go this way!!! no we gotta go back!!! oh nvm let's go where we already were!!! Everyone was such a joke and they were bad at everything, as random people kept dying but no the teenage fangirls are gonna save the day???? So many deaths were avoidable but go off.
The writing was... a choice. The main character literally said "omg" in her head and I can't express how much I don't like that.
In the acknowledgements the author mentions that this is a love letter to female friendships and uhh... there was an attempt.
Girls Save the World in This One is about a group of girls who are attending a big zombie convention in this town. Everything is going fine and they are having fun until June notices that some cosplayers are playing their role as zombies a little too well. Then a zombie outbreak happens and June and her friends have to fight for their survival.
This book was dumb as fuCK. I thought the idea was pretty cool tbh (I literally bought this book with birthday money and it really is going to do be like this??) but the idea was just wasted. Basically the first half of the book is just them waiting in line and overexplaining EVERYTHING. The waiting in lines was ridiculous and it was so boring, literally just them going to panels and signings like... please. The whole time it kept going into the backstory of the family of June's friends and every little detail about them, like we really needed to know what her best friend's sister's friend likes to do???
This entire book could have been saved even a little if it hadn't shit the romance out but it sure did. June spends 98.9% of the book going off about how gorgerous and beautiful and amazing her best friend Imani is. It was such a perfect set up of best friends to lovers amongst the chaos but no. Who is the love interest? Oh the fucking boy from the show that June is OBSSESSED with. Of course he is exactly like his character and instantly falls for June??? Why have an actual believable and well built romance when you can just have a creepy stalker romance? The bad fanfiction level is astronomical.
The zombie attack made no sense and all these people do is go back and forth and for what? The entire time it was just, let's go this way!!! no we gotta go back!!! oh nvm let's go where we already were!!! Everyone was such a joke and they were bad at everything, as random people kept dying but no the teenage fangirls are gonna save the day???? So many deaths were avoidable but go off.
The writing was... a choice. The main character literally said "omg" in her head and I can't express how much I don't like that.
In the acknowledgements the author mentions that this is a love letter to female friendships and uhh... there was an attempt.
March 25, 2020
3.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐.5
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
While there's nothing that I enjoy reading about more than strong female friendship groups- the idea of said friendship group having to save the world from a horde of zombies when all hell breaks loose at the convention they're attending appealed to me even more.
This was a surprisingly quick read (one that was highly appreciated during these uncertain times), and while I didn't end up loving it as much as I was hoping I would- I did find a part of myself in June (and that to me is priceless).
You don't have to be a fan of zombies to appreciate the fierce young women from Girls Save The World In This One or the love that they have for each-other and the fandom that they are a part of.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
While there's nothing that I enjoy reading about more than strong female friendship groups- the idea of said friendship group having to save the world from a horde of zombies when all hell breaks loose at the convention they're attending appealed to me even more.
This was a surprisingly quick read (one that was highly appreciated during these uncertain times), and while I didn't end up loving it as much as I was hoping I would- I did find a part of myself in June (and that to me is priceless).
You don't have to be a fan of zombies to appreciate the fierce young women from Girls Save The World In This One or the love that they have for each-other and the fandom that they are a part of.
August 30, 2020
3.5 Stars
Well that was heaps of flesh eating fun! I love zombies and thought having real zombies at Zombiecon was hilarious. One of the strengths of the story was the focus on the friendship between our main characters. Conflicts were set aside as they worked with the cast members of their favourite zombie show to save the day. Zombie apocalypse stories tend to be survival of the fittest situations, but our group of survivors used their collective wits and extensive knowledge of zombie fiction to stay alive. An enjoyable read with some witty dialogue.
Well that was heaps of flesh eating fun! I love zombies and thought having real zombies at Zombiecon was hilarious. One of the strengths of the story was the focus on the friendship between our main characters. Conflicts were set aside as they worked with the cast members of their favourite zombie show to save the day. Zombie apocalypse stories tend to be survival of the fittest situations, but our group of survivors used their collective wits and extensive knowledge of zombie fiction to stay alive. An enjoyable read with some witty dialogue.
April 26, 2020
Star Rating: —> 4 Stars
Zombies & rad female friendship! Wonderful :-)
RTC!!!!
Zombies & rad female friendship! Wonderful :-)
RTC!!!!
May 9, 2020
I had such high hopes for this book. I mean, it features everything I love: zombies, comic-cons and girl gangs and whilst it was very fun, I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped I would. I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style and, in general, everything felt very surface level. From the characters, who felt very one dimensional to the relationships to the plot itself. It all felt just ever so slightly underdeveloped.
However, I did have fun with it and overall, it was a very entertaining and easy read that was perfect for a summers afternoon. I just think it could have been something more.
However, I did have fun with it and overall, it was a very entertaining and easy read that was perfect for a summers afternoon. I just think it could have been something more.
May 1, 2020
Actual Rating: 4.5
I was hoping that Girls Save the World in This One would be fun and campy with lots of geeky zombie references. And it was exactly that, plus a wonderful story about female friendship, forgiveness, and pushing back on what the world says about you. It's a fun zombie romp with heart, perfect for fans of Geekerella and The Walking Dead.
June has been preparing her entire life for this day: ZombieCon! She and two of her best friends have saved to buy tickets to the event of a lifetime where they will get to hear from and meet the stars of their favorite zombie show. It was supposed to have been four of them, but a recent betrayal has them shutting out the final member of their girl squad, but June refuses to let that ruin her day. But while the day begins as epic and she could have hoped with wonderful panels and meet & greets, there are also some strange things happening...
The idea of having a zombie outbreak occur at a zombie convention is absolutley BRILLIANT and it's handled so well! It's a great story, and definitely has some fun wish fulfillment as the girls end up fighting alongside some of their favorite actors from this zombie TV show. It's a great blend of fandom love, running from zombies, slashing and plotting against zombies, and teen girls finding ways to survive and take care of each other. It also has beautiful messaging about friendship, forgiveness, and learning not to engage in negative self-talk or participate in the girl-on-girl competition that society sometimes encourages. There's also a fun romance side plot, but the primary relationships are definitely the openly loving female friendships. We love to see it!
I had a really good time with this one and would definitely recommend it if this sounds up your alley! Definite content warnings for lots of zombie-related violence, death, internalized fatphobia (not positively portrayed) and negative self-talk, sort of cheating and betrayal by a friend. I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I was hoping that Girls Save the World in This One would be fun and campy with lots of geeky zombie references. And it was exactly that, plus a wonderful story about female friendship, forgiveness, and pushing back on what the world says about you. It's a fun zombie romp with heart, perfect for fans of Geekerella and The Walking Dead.
June has been preparing her entire life for this day: ZombieCon! She and two of her best friends have saved to buy tickets to the event of a lifetime where they will get to hear from and meet the stars of their favorite zombie show. It was supposed to have been four of them, but a recent betrayal has them shutting out the final member of their girl squad, but June refuses to let that ruin her day. But while the day begins as epic and she could have hoped with wonderful panels and meet & greets, there are also some strange things happening...
The idea of having a zombie outbreak occur at a zombie convention is absolutley BRILLIANT and it's handled so well! It's a great story, and definitely has some fun wish fulfillment as the girls end up fighting alongside some of their favorite actors from this zombie TV show. It's a great blend of fandom love, running from zombies, slashing and plotting against zombies, and teen girls finding ways to survive and take care of each other. It also has beautiful messaging about friendship, forgiveness, and learning not to engage in negative self-talk or participate in the girl-on-girl competition that society sometimes encourages. There's also a fun romance side plot, but the primary relationships are definitely the openly loving female friendships. We love to see it!
I had a really good time with this one and would definitely recommend it if this sounds up your alley! Definite content warnings for lots of zombie-related violence, death, internalized fatphobia (not positively portrayed) and negative self-talk, sort of cheating and betrayal by a friend. I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
July 15, 2021
Now this was where I parked my car.
What a fun read! I have so many thoughts & feels about this one... I'll take a few moments to gather my thoughts & draft a review.
<3
--------------
Full review can be found here:
https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
I thought I was ready for this wild ride but I wasn’t. Hands down this was one of the funnest books I’ve read in a while. I will not stop forcing this into the hands of readers for a long, long time.
Three best friends, June, Imani, and Siggy, are over the moon excited to attend ZombieCon and possibly see/meet the cast from the hit show, Human Wasteland. What could go wrong at a ZombieCon, you ask? How about everything?
It sounds crazy and straightforward but my gosh this story was just a dang good time. I enjoyed the three main characters so, so much. I felt myself connecting with June on a lot of levels. The girl was chill with a capital “C”. While she was noticing weird things starting to happen during the day, she was the one who did her best to remain calm when all hell was breaking lose around her. She did her best to lead her friends and others to safety. I often then I would be like that if I found myself in a situation that required a level head. On top of that, I just really dug her character. She totally seemed like someone I would be friends with in real life. I would want to be a part of that squad for sure. There is a romance side to the story and oh my gosh it is adorable! I am not going to ruin it for you but know that it was just the right amount of sweet.
I devoured this book in one sitting so that should tell you how engrossed I was with it. I could not get enough of it, but was sad when it was over. I would love, love, LOVE a sequel! I could see there being a Part II because there were enough unanswered questions that could be wrapped up in a book 2. That would be amazing.
I’m here to say that if you have been thinking about this one – DO IT. Get it on your TBR, request it from your library, pre-order now. This is the action packed, zombie biting, sweet romance story you never knew you needed.
What a fun read! I have so many thoughts & feels about this one... I'll take a few moments to gather my thoughts & draft a review.
<3
--------------
Full review can be found here:
https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
I thought I was ready for this wild ride but I wasn’t. Hands down this was one of the funnest books I’ve read in a while. I will not stop forcing this into the hands of readers for a long, long time.
Three best friends, June, Imani, and Siggy, are over the moon excited to attend ZombieCon and possibly see/meet the cast from the hit show, Human Wasteland. What could go wrong at a ZombieCon, you ask? How about everything?
It sounds crazy and straightforward but my gosh this story was just a dang good time. I enjoyed the three main characters so, so much. I felt myself connecting with June on a lot of levels. The girl was chill with a capital “C”. While she was noticing weird things starting to happen during the day, she was the one who did her best to remain calm when all hell was breaking lose around her. She did her best to lead her friends and others to safety. I often then I would be like that if I found myself in a situation that required a level head. On top of that, I just really dug her character. She totally seemed like someone I would be friends with in real life. I would want to be a part of that squad for sure. There is a romance side to the story and oh my gosh it is adorable! I am not going to ruin it for you but know that it was just the right amount of sweet.
I devoured this book in one sitting so that should tell you how engrossed I was with it. I could not get enough of it, but was sad when it was over. I would love, love, LOVE a sequel! I could see there being a Part II because there were enough unanswered questions that could be wrapped up in a book 2. That would be amazing.
I’m here to say that if you have been thinking about this one – DO IT. Get it on your TBR, request it from your library, pre-order now. This is the action packed, zombie biting, sweet romance story you never knew you needed.
April 16, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I'll post that review upon publication.
Updated 4/16/20:
Two stars
I was super excited to read this based on the description and comparisons to both _Clueless_ and _Geekerella_, but this really did not work for me.
At the 40% mark, I still felt like everything was moving SO slowly. I didn't need these long passages of waiting in lines with the characters. Also, there is an unnecessary amount of detail at times. Do I need or want to know the first names and occupations of every character's parents, for example? No. This kind of detail doesn't bother me on its own, but I found the constant piling on of what felt like irrelevant details - in conjunction with the world's slowest plot development - painful. By the time the narrative shifts dramatically, I just could not find a way to care about what happened to these characters and their friendships. I was kind of ready to get bitten.
This is a five-star concept with so much unrealized potential. I'm disappointed but hopeful that I'll see something similar - but much more refined - in the future.
Updated 4/16/20:
Two stars
I was super excited to read this based on the description and comparisons to both _Clueless_ and _Geekerella_, but this really did not work for me.
At the 40% mark, I still felt like everything was moving SO slowly. I didn't need these long passages of waiting in lines with the characters. Also, there is an unnecessary amount of detail at times. Do I need or want to know the first names and occupations of every character's parents, for example? No. This kind of detail doesn't bother me on its own, but I found the constant piling on of what felt like irrelevant details - in conjunction with the world's slowest plot development - painful. By the time the narrative shifts dramatically, I just could not find a way to care about what happened to these characters and their friendships. I was kind of ready to get bitten.
This is a five-star concept with so much unrealized potential. I'm disappointed but hopeful that I'll see something similar - but much more refined - in the future.
June 18, 2020
'Looking at the world sometimes, zombies make more sense than people.'
Looking at the world today in this apocalyptic year of 2020, yeah, zombies make a lot more sense. I know about zombies, I know what to expect from them, how to defend against them. But this year? Ha! I know nothing!! So reading this was a relief from unknown horrors by turning to known horrors. It was fun! It made me laugh! Yes, it DOES have moments where logic needs to be mostly thrown out the window, but I needed to not think while reading a book, just enjoy it.
That's what this gave me . . . and in quite a satisfying way! So truly, sometimes the simplest, genre-trope-soaked books end up being some of the best stuff you've ever read.
'What's the collective noun for a group of butterflies?
I think it should be an anticipation. An anticipation of butterflies nestles in my chest.'
Looking at the world today in this apocalyptic year of 2020, yeah, zombies make a lot more sense. I know about zombies, I know what to expect from them, how to defend against them. But this year? Ha! I know nothing!! So reading this was a relief from unknown horrors by turning to known horrors. It was fun! It made me laugh! Yes, it DOES have moments where logic needs to be mostly thrown out the window, but I needed to not think while reading a book, just enjoy it.
That's what this gave me . . . and in quite a satisfying way! So truly, sometimes the simplest, genre-trope-soaked books end up being some of the best stuff you've ever read.
'What's the collective noun for a group of butterflies?
I think it should be an anticipation. An anticipation of butterflies nestles in my chest.'
April 18, 2021
[Such an old review, *shudder*]
Want to read full review? Visit www.booktasticallymazing.com
Look at the cover. LOOK AT IT.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ABORT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET!
Let me preface this by saying... I truly enjoy reading ya survival books because, duh. An amazing heroine fighting against the odds in an unforgettably epic environment, what are you waiting for? Sign me up! But apart from me liking those books I’ve never given space to, let’s say, zombie-ish action in my book nerd life. A zombie by dictionary definition is “a corpse said to be revived by witchcraft” which in my book is not my cup of tea. But the OTHER type of zombie is the infected people one. Now that is appealing to me. To read, not to experience, obviously *full-body shiver*. The infected who have a virus that eats their brain goo for some reason is creepy but not dead-people-walking creepy.
From the beginning, we get introduced with a trio of friends that absolutely stole my heart from the first few sentences. June, Imani, and Siggy are one of my dream squads apart from the ones in The Gray Wolves series. Their banter and their love for each other was clearly evident, and I live for that kind of sisterhood. Now, we’re going to forget about the other friend, the One who literally destroyed her relationship with the girls because of a boy. A boy who doesn’t know how to differentiate his hair gel from his toothpaste. So yeah, they might’ve gotten over their dispute after the whole ZA, but I ain’t forgiving that leech for now.
Let’s talk about the main character, dear June, she was adorable and exactly how I would be under the circumstance of meeting one of my TV crushes. She’s awkward, funny, witty and the epitome of cringe-worthy introductions. When the girls first meet Hunter and scream their heads off? That I can absolutely relate to.
Want to read full review? Visit www.booktasticallymazing.com
Look at the cover. LOOK AT IT.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ABORT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET!
Let me preface this by saying... I truly enjoy reading ya survival books because, duh. An amazing heroine fighting against the odds in an unforgettably epic environment, what are you waiting for? Sign me up! But apart from me liking those books I’ve never given space to, let’s say, zombie-ish action in my book nerd life. A zombie by dictionary definition is “a corpse said to be revived by witchcraft” which in my book is not my cup of tea. But the OTHER type of zombie is the infected people one. Now that is appealing to me. To read, not to experience, obviously *full-body shiver*. The infected who have a virus that eats their brain goo for some reason is creepy but not dead-people-walking creepy.
From the beginning, we get introduced with a trio of friends that absolutely stole my heart from the first few sentences. June, Imani, and Siggy are one of my dream squads apart from the ones in The Gray Wolves series. Their banter and their love for each other was clearly evident, and I live for that kind of sisterhood. Now, we’re going to forget about the other friend, the One who literally destroyed her relationship with the girls because of a boy. A boy who doesn’t know how to differentiate his hair gel from his toothpaste. So yeah, they might’ve gotten over their dispute after the whole ZA, but I ain’t forgiving that leech for now.
Let’s talk about the main character, dear June, she was adorable and exactly how I would be under the circumstance of meeting one of my TV crushes. She’s awkward, funny, witty and the epitome of cringe-worthy introductions. When the girls first meet Hunter and scream their heads off? That I can absolutely relate to.
April 7, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I picked up this ARC from my local indie bookstore.
This was a really cute read. The writing is simple but the characters and the friendships really make the book shine. I absolutely adored June and her friends, Imani (whose half-Korean!), Siggy, and eventually Blair. I loved how they were simply teenagers excited to attend their first big con in their somewhat small town. I felt their excitement, too, and am living vicariously through all of them, lol.
A few of the reasons this doesn’t get a full 4-star rating is how the book felt like it dragged a bit. I don’t know if it was so distracted by real life or that this book takes place over the course of a couple of hours and there’s only so much you can do with real live zombies everywhere. The ending was a bit of a miss for me, too. Not in terms of June reconciling her friendship with a certain person, but just that the last chapter was really all we get, leaving the story a bit open-ended. We aren’t told WHY there were zombies and WHY no one (in the outside world) bothered to try to save them for HOURS.
Despite the book taking place over a short period, my love for this book really lies in the friendships and how endearing the friends are to one another. They aren’t ashamed to tell each other they love them, and the author really knows how to nail you in the feels with cute back stories about the girls’ friendships and how they got there. I thought the romance was cute, too, even though—again—this book takes place over a day. I’d be really interested to read about how June and her eventual love interest manage their time while navigating his famous life and her eventual college life.
Overall a cute, fun, quirky read with strong female friendships. Also the cover is drawn by Jen Bartel so who am I to say no to this book to begin with? lol
I picked up this ARC from my local indie bookstore.
This was a really cute read. The writing is simple but the characters and the friendships really make the book shine. I absolutely adored June and her friends, Imani (whose half-Korean!), Siggy, and eventually Blair. I loved how they were simply teenagers excited to attend their first big con in their somewhat small town. I felt their excitement, too, and am living vicariously through all of them, lol.
A few of the reasons this doesn’t get a full 4-star rating is how the book felt like it dragged a bit. I don’t know if it was so distracted by real life or that this book takes place over the course of a couple of hours and there’s only so much you can do with real live zombies everywhere. The ending was a bit of a miss for me, too. Not in terms of June reconciling her friendship with a certain person, but just that the last chapter was really all we get, leaving the story a bit open-ended. We aren’t told WHY there were zombies and WHY no one (in the outside world) bothered to try to save them for HOURS.
Despite the book taking place over a short period, my love for this book really lies in the friendships and how endearing the friends are to one another. They aren’t ashamed to tell each other they love them, and the author really knows how to nail you in the feels with cute back stories about the girls’ friendships and how they got there. I thought the romance was cute, too, even though—again—this book takes place over a day. I’d be really interested to read about how June and her eventual love interest manage their time while navigating his famous life and her eventual college life.
Overall a cute, fun, quirky read with strong female friendships. Also the cover is drawn by Jen Bartel so who am I to say no to this book to begin with? lol
April 22, 2020
From TheLibrarianBox Apocalyptic Preppers Box for April 2020
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March 30, 2020
"[Zombies] They only want to eat you, They don't want to hurt you, or torture you. Pain is just a by product of how they want your meat. They're not sadistic. They're just hungry.
Zombies are basically human sharks."
Meta fun zombie survival story, in which June's favorite actors in her favorite zombie show HAVE TO SURVIVE THE ACTUAL ZOMBIE OUTBREAK alongside her, full of teen angst/drama and constant danger.
"... and I scream, as loud and I can, because we're here, and I'm not going to let Blair ruin my day, or Scott, or the SAT, or my zits, or any of it."
Some things that I would love to decapitate:
🧟 The beginning felt like it could have a bit more exposition on the girl's relationship and how exactly it went sideways. Yes, there is some hints on what happened, but it is not great when in the beginning of the novel I was kind of yelling at our MC "BUT DID YOU EVEN LET HER EXPLAIN?!" Girls Save the World in This One is all about girl power, supporting each other, and BFFs, so it left a sour taste in my mouth when they gave Blair the cold shoulder without speaking to her. On the other hand this happens all the time so it felt genuine.
🧟 Not enough character backgrounds/depth. Characters die (it IS the zombie apocalypse after all) but I wasn't invested in them enough to let it bother me?
On the other hand...
👩 The female relationships are a highlight and it was nice to see that while Blair was being given the cold shoulder our MC didn't completely love it, and even missed her/didn't just discard the entire friendship.
👩 SO MUCH ACTION! The first 100 pages or so are about setting up the convention, the actors/characters the girls fangirl over, and their drama. But after the zombies hit the page it is a constant go go go! Makes the story go by super quick.
"My favorite was the scared girl, who everyone kept discounting and who just kept surviving, impossibly, until the very end."
👩 I loved how JUNE, who has been doubting herself due to her bad scores in the SATs and her anxiety, comes out being the one who is able to stay calm and think under pressure. She is an out of the box thinker, which is what her friends love about her. She is a leader, and the only one willing to provide some form of guidance.
"It's the zombie apocalypse. Falling in love is the most ridiculous thing you can do."
👩 The romance was super cute and not at all eclipsing of the female friendships or zombie gore! It was a "hey, I see you, you see me, I like your humor and your strength, maybe we can like date after the apocalypse is over?" 😍 It left us full of promise for the future, and with lots of gushy good feelings!
So I guess in the end it really is a book you can bring with you into the apocalypse cause it will lift up your spirits, it is just so adorable!
Zombies are basically human sharks."
Meta fun zombie survival story, in which June's favorite actors in her favorite zombie show HAVE TO SURVIVE THE ACTUAL ZOMBIE OUTBREAK alongside her, full of teen angst/drama and constant danger.
"... and I scream, as loud and I can, because we're here, and I'm not going to let Blair ruin my day, or Scott, or the SAT, or my zits, or any of it."
Some things that I would love to decapitate:
🧟 The beginning felt like it could have a bit more exposition on the girl's relationship and how exactly it went sideways. Yes, there is some hints on what happened, but it is not great when in the beginning of the novel I was kind of yelling at our MC "BUT DID YOU EVEN LET HER EXPLAIN?!" Girls Save the World in This One is all about girl power, supporting each other, and BFFs, so it left a sour taste in my mouth when they gave Blair the cold shoulder without speaking to her. On the other hand this happens all the time so it felt genuine.
🧟 Not enough character backgrounds/depth. Characters die (it IS the zombie apocalypse after all) but I wasn't invested in them enough to let it bother me?
On the other hand...
👩 The female relationships are a highlight and it was nice to see that while Blair was being given the cold shoulder our MC didn't completely love it, and even missed her/didn't just discard the entire friendship.
👩 SO MUCH ACTION! The first 100 pages or so are about setting up the convention, the actors/characters the girls fangirl over, and their drama. But after the zombies hit the page it is a constant go go go! Makes the story go by super quick.
"My favorite was the scared girl, who everyone kept discounting and who just kept surviving, impossibly, until the very end."
👩 I loved how JUNE, who has been doubting herself due to her bad scores in the SATs and her anxiety, comes out being the one who is able to stay calm and think under pressure. She is an out of the box thinker, which is what her friends love about her. She is a leader, and the only one willing to provide some form of guidance.
"It's the zombie apocalypse. Falling in love is the most ridiculous thing you can do."
👩 The romance was super cute and not at all eclipsing of the female friendships or zombie gore! It was a "hey, I see you, you see me, I like your humor and your strength, maybe we can like date after the apocalypse is over?" 😍 It left us full of promise for the future, and with lots of gushy good feelings!
So I guess in the end it really is a book you can bring with you into the apocalypse cause it will lift up your spirits, it is just so adorable!
March 30, 2020
I did not care for this book. It had everything I normally love, but this one, I don't know exactly how to phrase it, irked me?
+ Uplifting (by the end) female friendships
+ Diverse representation within fandoms
+ Gore
+ Positive portrayals of women in horror
+ Direct, dialogue heavy text that is great for reluctant readers
+ Great, vibrant cover
-Authentic teen voice? ehhhhh, this sounds like someone who was in high school in the 2000s. I haven't heard the term beffie used in at least a decade. Also what teen says "oh look a cute teen boy?" No one. You would think oh look at that cute boy, being a teenager yourself you probably wouldn't specify that the cute boy was in fact a teen. I certainly don't think "ooh look a cute adult male."
-Are zombies still a thing? I haven't heart a kid talk about zombies in a very long time. Kinda played out.
-It starts so very slow. The first third is describing a con and the zombie fandom. Also a lot of unnecessary background info about friends parents? That didn't matter at all. It could easily be dropped.
- Diverse representation felt incredibly awkward. Like "here is my white friend, she's Scandinavian so she can pull off this look" and "Here is my Indian friend," etc. etc. It made it feel like it was shoehorned in and not at all natural. I appreciate that the effort was made.
- I wanted this to be funnier. I was expecting more witty quips and stronger satire. It certainly wasn't laugh out loud, at least for me.
- Oof apocalyptic books are a hard sell right now.
Overall it is a thrilling tale of survival, just not my cup of tea I guess.
Thanks to Netgalley and Philomel for the Advanced Reader Copy.
+ Uplifting (by the end) female friendships
+ Diverse representation within fandoms
+ Gore
+ Positive portrayals of women in horror
+ Direct, dialogue heavy text that is great for reluctant readers
+ Great, vibrant cover
-Authentic teen voice? ehhhhh, this sounds like someone who was in high school in the 2000s. I haven't heard the term beffie used in at least a decade. Also what teen says "oh look a cute teen boy?" No one. You would think oh look at that cute boy, being a teenager yourself you probably wouldn't specify that the cute boy was in fact a teen. I certainly don't think "ooh look a cute adult male."
-Are zombies still a thing? I haven't heart a kid talk about zombies in a very long time. Kinda played out.
-It starts so very slow. The first third is describing a con and the zombie fandom. Also a lot of unnecessary background info about friends parents? That didn't matter at all. It could easily be dropped.
- Diverse representation felt incredibly awkward. Like "here is my white friend, she's Scandinavian so she can pull off this look" and "Here is my Indian friend," etc. etc. It made it feel like it was shoehorned in and not at all natural. I appreciate that the effort was made.
- I wanted this to be funnier. I was expecting more witty quips and stronger satire. It certainly wasn't laugh out loud, at least for me.
- Oof apocalyptic books are a hard sell right now.
Overall it is a thrilling tale of survival, just not my cup of tea I guess.
Thanks to Netgalley and Philomel for the Advanced Reader Copy.
Read
April 27, 2020dnf at 40%
November 3, 2021
Ugh. This book tries way too hard in every aspect. I do like that girls are the heroes, but everything else is so over the top.
January 23, 2021
This book was such a pleasant surprise. Love the friendship between the character and it really make me miss Conventions. It's more of a 4.5 I think than a 4. I sort of wanted to read 1 or 2 chapters more in the story.
Love the whole zombie aspect of it. Like the "nods" for the horror fans. This could have easily been one of my favorite books on its release date.
The friendship was so cute.
Love the whole zombie aspect of it. Like the "nods" for the horror fans. This could have easily been one of my favorite books on its release date.
The friendship was so cute.
April 10, 2020
i am SO underwhelmed rn :((
October 21, 2021
Cute. But it should’ve been 200 pages shorter
January 14, 2023
This is so weird because I literally don't know what to rate this? Three stars, mid? On one hand I had fun, won’t lie. I liked how much love these girls had for each other. The characters were likable. I liked the fandom bits and actually really enjoyed the whole con part. It’s a book about zombies I fucking love zombies. So like what gives?
Okay first I was really expecting main character to end up with her friend because the way she described her… bestie… Do I feel bit baited? Ye.
And second I don’t like how zombies were handled. I expected a little bit more of resolution than that? Like why did it happen why did they show up there?? Was it explained I don’t know I spaced out at the end. Also I’m terribly picky when it comes to the way zombie viruses are done and this just isn’t working. If someone just got infected they would not look like a rotten corpse right away. They would rot but not after two hours. Kinda beats the whole point. And all of this for what was clearly a fictional version of TWD. Why were zombies so wrong then?? There was this couple who cosplayed as zombies and that’s why zombies didn’t attack them? After book said zombies relied on smell because their eyes rotted? So how does that work how wouldn’t they know? I’m mad.
Yeah my verdict is it would have been better if wlws idk.
Okay first I was really expecting main character to end up with her friend because the way she described her… bestie… Do I feel bit baited? Ye.
And second I don’t like how zombies were handled. I expected a little bit more of resolution than that? Like why did it happen why did they show up there?? Was it explained I don’t know I spaced out at the end. Also I’m terribly picky when it comes to the way zombie viruses are done and this just isn’t working. If someone just got infected they would not look like a rotten corpse right away. They would rot but not after two hours. Kinda beats the whole point. And all of this for what was clearly a fictional version of TWD. Why were zombies so wrong then?? There was this couple who cosplayed as zombies and that’s why zombies didn’t attack them? After book said zombies relied on smell because their eyes rotted? So how does that work how wouldn’t they know? I’m mad.
Yeah my verdict is it would have been better if wlws idk.
Want to read
April 29, 2020Shaun of the Dead meets Clueless? Yes, please! I didn't know this book was a thing so I'm forever grateful that it was the April YA pick for Mysterious Galaxy Fantastic Firsts!
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October 7, 2023
omg i love this. i love a good zombie apocalypse book and none so far have disappointed they have all been 4 or 5s. i kinda wanted stuff to happen between June and a certain person but that probably would have been too cliché but we still love him. i almost cried (i rarely cry over books) when some characters died and i was very happy when others died so i think it was easy to connect with characters in this book. the only thing stopping me from giving this a 5 (i will probs change it to a 5 later) is that the 2nd half of the book is all action and it was entertaining but i would have liked other things happening. this book honestly deserves so much hype and i will be recommending this to everyone i speak to!!!
“Only losers fall in love during the zombie apocalypse.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5 stars
“Only losers fall in love during the zombie apocalypse.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5 stars
April 15, 2020
Girls Save the World in This One was a really cute read. Three best friends spend the day at a zombie convention (ZombieCon!) which turns out to be the real start to the zompocalypse.
I love the fandom in this book. There's a long set up here for the zombies to arrive, but the set up walks you through what it's really like to hang out with friends at a fan convention.
While there are flesh eating zombies, Girls Save the World in This One is still a great book for those who don't care much for horror. The zombies are an awesome backdrop to a story of friendship and fandom.
I know I often tout YA horror that works well for adults, but I want to stress how well I think this book works for teens. I'm trying to get my son to read it but at (almost) 11 it's too pink and girly for him at the moment. I'll keep trying! He's the one I bring with me to conventions, and I think this book is a perfect first zombie book.
Review copy provided by publisher
I love the fandom in this book. There's a long set up here for the zombies to arrive, but the set up walks you through what it's really like to hang out with friends at a fan convention.
While there are flesh eating zombies, Girls Save the World in This One is still a great book for those who don't care much for horror. The zombies are an awesome backdrop to a story of friendship and fandom.
I know I often tout YA horror that works well for adults, but I want to stress how well I think this book works for teens. I'm trying to get my son to read it but at (almost) 11 it's too pink and girly for him at the moment. I'll keep trying! He's the one I bring with me to conventions, and I think this book is a perfect first zombie book.
Review copy provided by publisher
October 12, 2020
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Horror / Humor / Romance
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Author Ash Parsons’ Girls Save the World in This One is being marketed as Shaun of the Dead meets Clueless. The story focuses on June Blue and her best friends Imani Choi, Signe Larsen as well as Blair Whittley who is currently on the outs with June over boy issues. After struggling with her SAT’s, losing her best friend Blair to a boy issue, June just wants to have some fun. Of course, things don’t always go the way you want them to go. The story itself takes place at ZombieCon which somehow found its way to Senoyba, Georgia, where June and her friends live.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Horror / Humor / Romance
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Author Ash Parsons’ Girls Save the World in This One is being marketed as Shaun of the Dead meets Clueless. The story focuses on June Blue and her best friends Imani Choi, Signe Larsen as well as Blair Whittley who is currently on the outs with June over boy issues. After struggling with her SAT’s, losing her best friend Blair to a boy issue, June just wants to have some fun. Of course, things don’t always go the way you want them to go. The story itself takes place at ZombieCon which somehow found its way to Senoyba, Georgia, where June and her friends live.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
November 21, 2020
DNF @ 22%
this one is boring to me. Definitely a slower start and not at all what I thought a zombie book would be like. This one feels more like a contemporary book. I thought it was supposed to be funny too, but I think if there are funny moments I'm missing them. There was so, so much repetition about her ex-BFF and Scott just-- I GET IT! I didn't think it needed to be mentioned so many darn times in such a short amount of time.
So, who would I recommend this one to... young to middle teens who usually like contemporary books looking for something with a little oomph and don't mind a slow start. It does take place at a Zombie convention, so I might show it to teens into fandom.
this one is boring to me. Definitely a slower start and not at all what I thought a zombie book would be like. This one feels more like a contemporary book. I thought it was supposed to be funny too, but I think if there are funny moments I'm missing them. There was so, so much repetition about her ex-BFF and Scott just-- I GET IT! I didn't think it needed to be mentioned so many darn times in such a short amount of time.
So, who would I recommend this one to... young to middle teens who usually like contemporary books looking for something with a little oomph and don't mind a slow start. It does take place at a Zombie convention, so I might show it to teens into fandom.
May 6, 2021
I liked the characters, but I wished the plot had picked up a little faster, but it was really good. My only other note is that the MC thought every single one of the guy actors were the hottest people in the world.
April 20, 2020
not terrible, but with a distinct "the walking dead rpf self-insert with hea on wattpad" energy
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