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I Was A Gay Teenage Zombie
"Y'know, if I was a sexy type of undead, like a vampire or something, I'm sure I'd have some kind of supernatural power to bring any guy I liked under my charismatic control. Best I can hope for is to not decompose over someone's shoes. How romantic."And you thought it was hard coming out as gay... Jay was a perfectly normal teenager, like any other awkward, antisocial, gay teenager. Until he was bitten by a mysterious zombie boy. Now, Jay has far more on his mind than he can handle. Not only is he struggling to keep his troubled family together and deal with his unfulfilled love for the hottest guy in school, he also needs to keep in check his urge to devour human flesh. All the while making sure his decomposition doesn't show. As if he wasn't already enough of an outsider...This unique story offers a fresh and exciting new twist on the young adult LGBT coming-of-age comedy horror tale. Shockingly aware and witty, this thrilling tale by acclaimed horror and dark fantasy author Alison Cybe dishes up side-splitting laughter, stomach-churning horror, heart-rending drama and everything you'll need to know about growing up when you just don't fit in.
- GenresYoung Adult
166 pages, Paperback
Published July 6, 2019
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Alison Cybe
33 books6 followersAlison Cybe is a fantasy and horror author with multiple books and short story publications under their belt.
They work as a freelance writer for tabletop RPG publishers, with other work featured in numerous horror and sci-fi/fantasy publications. They have a degree in Film & Media with a minor in sociology and media, they are non-binary and their pronouns are they/them and was born in Scotland.
They are co-manager of a large gaming club, and have written extensively on inclusion and positive representation within the gaming community in particular with relation to LGBTQ+ and transgender visibility in several gaming publications and blogs. Their interests include celtic mythology, transhumanism, model kits and pet rats.
They work as a freelance writer for tabletop RPG publishers, with other work featured in numerous horror and sci-fi/fantasy publications. They have a degree in Film & Media with a minor in sociology and media, they are non-binary and their pronouns are they/them and was born in Scotland.
They are co-manager of a large gaming club, and have written extensively on inclusion and positive representation within the gaming community in particular with relation to LGBTQ+ and transgender visibility in several gaming publications and blogs. Their interests include celtic mythology, transhumanism, model kits and pet rats.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 9, 2019
A truly delightful read.
Mixing both humour and serious tones really nicely, this short book really does delve into the life of a fascinating character in Jay.
Little is done to explain the how or why of the zombiness of the main character, but that is never needed. All that matters is how Jay copes with it.
Charming and entertaining.
Mixing both humour and serious tones really nicely, this short book really does delve into the life of a fascinating character in Jay.
Little is done to explain the how or why of the zombiness of the main character, but that is never needed. All that matters is how Jay copes with it.
Charming and entertaining.
October 7, 2022
This is an odd and lighthearted story told from a teenager’s perspective about how they continue to navigate through a typical teen life as they transition to a zombie. It’s refreshing to read about how a teen might cope with the day-to-day highs and lows of living a zombie life from an individual who has the ability to communicate normally - it’s a trope I enjoy.
It’s very much YA, and I think could hit perfectly for young people who like zombie stories or catch the symbolism of learning to cope and find joy as you live a life knowing that you may not fit so easily into the mainstream.
It’s very much YA, and I think could hit perfectly for young people who like zombie stories or catch the symbolism of learning to cope and find joy as you live a life knowing that you may not fit so easily into the mainstream.
November 15, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
The writing is decent and the pace is good, but I’m left ambivalent about the whole thing. There’s not really much of a story here to sink my — ahem — teeth into. Every character is seen through Jay’s eyes and he’s not interested in any of them but Archer, and those moments are actions more than words. While Archer, through his actions, seems to be a decent person, Jay, through both his thoughts and his actions, isn’t. The ending of the book suits the tone of the story, but I don’t think it will be to everyone’s taste as it’s more open-ended than most YA stories tend to be. My final judgement is if you’re not a fan of zombies, give it a pass. But, if you like zombies and want a new take on them, this book might hold your interest.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
3.25 stars
The writing is decent and the pace is good, but I’m left ambivalent about the whole thing. There’s not really much of a story here to sink my — ahem — teeth into. Every character is seen through Jay’s eyes and he’s not interested in any of them but Archer, and those moments are actions more than words. While Archer, through his actions, seems to be a decent person, Jay, through both his thoughts and his actions, isn’t. The ending of the book suits the tone of the story, but I don’t think it will be to everyone’s taste as it’s more open-ended than most YA stories tend to be. My final judgement is if you’re not a fan of zombies, give it a pass. But, if you like zombies and want a new take on them, this book might hold your interest.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
October 6, 2019
Review at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
ARC provided by Deep Hearts in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by Deep Hearts in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2022
Quick and easy read. Finished it in one sitting. Five stars for the writing style and creativity. This author definitely has talent. However, I would give three stars to the story itself. Nothing interesting really happens, which is hard to believe because there is a freaking gay zombie teenager. I was not at all invested in the characters and will definitely forget about this book. I already gave it to a thrift store and have no intention of reading it again. Which is sad because I love zombie books.
That being said, definitely worth a read at least one time.
That being said, definitely worth a read at least one time.
May 24, 2021
On the recommendation of a friend, I gave this a read. It has its ups and downs; the diary style mostly works, although I felt it could use a little more polish sometimes, even with that approach. I appreciated a lot of the contemporary references threaded in, and the way it tackled some big feelings and concepts. Very unsure of how I feel about the ending, though. Overall, a quick read and I'm glad I did.
January 26, 2020
Read as part of the PopSugar Reading Challenge 2020, to fill 17) A medical thriller.
This wasn't... great. It was good. I just wanted more from it. There were parts of it that were really funny in a vaguely nonsensical way, but most of it read like it was trying too hard and not really achieving what it was going for.
This wasn't... great. It was good. I just wanted more from it. There were parts of it that were really funny in a vaguely nonsensical way, but most of it read like it was trying too hard and not really achieving what it was going for.
October 22, 2019
Some zombies are full of surprises.
Jay’s character development was marvelous. Like many teenagers, he dealt with moods that sometimes changed rapidly and often felt like no one in the world understood him. Ms. Cybe captured what it’s like to be a teenager perfectly. If that wasn’t enough, Jay also changed in all sorts of delightful ways as his body continued to look less like the person he’d been before he was bitten. He felt real to me, and that’s always something to praise.
There were some parts of the storyline that weren’t well developed. This was especially true when it came to some of the things the protagonist did to hide his injury, illness, death, resurrection, and undead afterlife from the people closest to him. I was surprised by how oblivious his parents were to all of these developments, and it would have been nice to have more reasons for them missing such blatant signs that something had dramatically changed in their son’s life. If they’d been included, I would have given this book a much higher rating. Everything else about it was great.
The descriptions of what it felt like to be zombie were well done. Every universe has their own rules about how this process works and how long it takes. This was definitely one of the longest transformations I’ve ever read about, so I was fascinated by how slowly Jay changed after he was bitten. It was also interesting to see all of the ways he didn’t conform to the typical stereotypes of this monster. Sharing specific details about them would give away too many spoilers, but the author did a great job of putting her own twist on traditional zombie lore.
I Was a Gay Teenage Zombie should be read by fans of the young adult and horror genres alike.
Jay’s character development was marvelous. Like many teenagers, he dealt with moods that sometimes changed rapidly and often felt like no one in the world understood him. Ms. Cybe captured what it’s like to be a teenager perfectly. If that wasn’t enough, Jay also changed in all sorts of delightful ways as his body continued to look less like the person he’d been before he was bitten. He felt real to me, and that’s always something to praise.
There were some parts of the storyline that weren’t well developed. This was especially true when it came to some of the things the protagonist did to hide his injury, illness, death, resurrection, and undead afterlife from the people closest to him. I was surprised by how oblivious his parents were to all of these developments, and it would have been nice to have more reasons for them missing such blatant signs that something had dramatically changed in their son’s life. If they’d been included, I would have given this book a much higher rating. Everything else about it was great.
The descriptions of what it felt like to be zombie were well done. Every universe has their own rules about how this process works and how long it takes. This was definitely one of the longest transformations I’ve ever read about, so I was fascinated by how slowly Jay changed after he was bitten. It was also interesting to see all of the ways he didn’t conform to the typical stereotypes of this monster. Sharing specific details about them would give away too many spoilers, but the author did a great job of putting her own twist on traditional zombie lore.
I Was a Gay Teenage Zombie should be read by fans of the young adult and horror genres alike.
August 1, 2019
Starts off very funny, and naturally transitions to a more serious and personal story about coming of age and coming out. Using zombies as a metaphor for sexuality and puberty was handled really well.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews