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Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles, #1)

Gena Showalter

Start date: October 22, 2012

Finish date: October 31, 2012

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What Members Thought

Feb 12, 2013 Michael rated it did not like it

Shelves: tower-team-challenge-b, read-in-2013, young-adult

Based on the first chapter, I should have enjoyed Gena Showalter's Alice in Zombieland a lot more than I did.

Alice Bell's father is a bit of the peculiar side. He won't let his family venture out of the house after dark, he won't drive by the cemetery and he's convinced that he can see evil forces that no one else can. For her younger sister's birthday, Alice convinces her father to bend the rules and attend the younger sister's dance recital. Leaving quickly after the recital is over, the fami ...more

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Sep 23, 2015 Tricia Schneider rated it liked it

Shelves: borrowed, young-adult, urban-fantasy, zombies, pnr, paranormal

I looked at this book about three times before I finally picked it up to read. The cover was eye-catching, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a YA novel at the time. However, the whole zombie storyline intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try. The beginning of Alice Bell's story really connected with me. Her family died, the people whom she loved most were lost to her and she had to come to grips with that reality. I felt her pain and her desolation. It was intriguing that her father could I looked at this book about three times before I finally picked it up to read. The cover was eye-catching, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a YA novel at the time. However, the whole zombie storyline intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try. The beginning of Alice Bell's story really connected with me. Her family died, the people whom she loved most were lost to her and she had to come to grips with that reality. I felt her pain and her desolation. It was intriguing that her father could see monsters that no one else could see. After the tragic accident that killed her parents, Alice was able to see these same monsters, too.

I liked the story so far. It was a great premise. The beginning chapter really drew me into the story and I wanted to know more. Alice moved in with her grandparents and had to adjust to life without her family while attending a new school. When she meets Cole Holland, she experiences visions of their future together. This explains their instant attraction to each other. Alice, who now goes by the nickname Ali, gets to know the kids in school as well as the teachers and staff.

Ali begins to see zombies outside of her grandparent's house. Other things go on which lead her to believe that she might not be the only one who can see these monsters. Slowly, as the plot unfolds, she learns that Cole and his group of boys can not only see the zombies, but they fight them as well. Not only that, but they have a rival faction who wants to experiment with these zombies. All the while, Ali must figure out what her feelings for Cole mean and if they can have a relationship together while battling zombies.

I enjoyed reading about Alice and her struggle with dealing with the death of her family and battling the zombies. I liked that the zombies weren't re-animated corpses, but were the spirits of the people who had been infected with evil. It was a unique idea and that's why only very few people could see the zombie spirits. Only those people who had the ability to see into the spirit world. However, the thing that bothered me was that this particular school had so many members who could not only see the zombies as well as Alice, but were willing to put their life on the line to fight them. It seemed a bit of a stretch for believability.

This was the first book in the White Rabbit Chronicles. I'd also like to add that the story was written in first person point of view which I love to read. I'm interested to see what else is in store for Alice and her new friends, as well as her relationship with Cole. ...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Netanella rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies, young-adult, urban-fantasy

Well, this isn't really a zombie book, and it's not really "Alice in Wonderland" - it's a lovely mish-mash of the author's imagination that works well and tells an entertaining story. Fans of the author are used to her paranormal erotica, and this is definitely not. There's high school young adult romance going on, with lots of smooching and high school rumors flying. Of course, since there are monsters - the zombies, that is, and the high school slayers of said zombies, there are lots of fists ...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Shawna rated it it was amazing

Prior to reading this I scoped out the reviews. It seemed that those that hated the book were expecting it to be a refresher on the Alice in Wonderland story, turned zombie. I have to admit, initially I kind of thought that too until I read the description. I think that had the title been different that may have alleviated some of the bad reviews. However I also see how the title fits into the story and I like how Ms. Showalter included little innuendos from the original literature. That said, I ...more

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Mar 12, 2016 Nancy rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, irritating-heroine

I know a load of people have said how great this book was, but it just wasn't for me. I did get to the end (just) but it really was torture. I love paranormal romance and I don't mind a bit of YA but this started out annoying and ended up just stereotypical and silly.

I think my biggest problem of all was with Alice, or Ali as she insisted on being called. She was irritating, vacuous, snarky, and generally a horrible person. Now, I did wonder whether there could be a bit of a culture clash here? I know a load of people have said how great this book was, but it just wasn't for me. I did get to the end (just) but it really was torture. I love paranormal romance and I don't mind a bit of YA but this started out annoying and ended up just stereotypical and silly.

I think my biggest problem of all was with Alice, or Ali as she insisted on being called. She was irritating, vacuous, snarky, and generally a horrible person. Now, I did wonder whether there could be a bit of a culture clash here? I was brought up in Australia then spent 20 years living in Britain, so perhaps what I see as acceptable behaviour differs from what is seen as acceptable in the US. Being loud-mouthed, sarcastic, judgemental, pushy and generally obnoxious just doesn't strike me as being attractive or desirable. Even in a teenager. And I can't believe that that is what girls are supposed to be like in the US. Since when was that seen as the kind of thing a guy would instantly fall for and which would secure you best friends within minutes?

Ali's friend, Kat, was almost a caricature of annoying, and as for Cole, I'm not entirely sure why he was at school (did he actually go to any classes?). None of the characters were three dimensional - they were just cookie cut, 'this is what a teenager should be like' which struck me as being written so teenagers would go 'yeah, ha ha, adults wouldn't get it'. You're right. Adults, and anyone thinking like an adult wouldn't get it. I also got utterly irritated by all of the going to church references. Sorry, but I don't care. It does not take the plot or the action forward at all. It just felt like the author was desperate to slip her own beliefs into the book whether anyone cared or not. I understand the author is quite religious and that's great, but I don't ordinarily read paranormal romance to hear someone's moralising over sex before marriage.

As such, I think that this is the last I'll read of both this series and this author. I am sure it works for plenty of people, but it certainly did nothing for me. ...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Trisha rated it it was ok

well, that wasn't what I thought it would be.

Alice, AKA Ali, is a high school girl who just lost her whole family and she's starting at a new school. This comes with much of the usual stuff - making new friends, new teachers, humiliating front of the room info sessions.

But, this was over 200 pages of the book. 1/2 through, there had been very little zombies spotted and a lot of information about the town, the people and... I don't know, maybe it was the writing style? I just felt like there was ...more

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