Dinner Anyone?

 

TITLE: My Life as a White Trash Zombie

AUTHOR: Diana Rowland

PUBLISHER: DAW

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 2011

PAGES: 320   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: 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 wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in a horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse. 

Before she knows it, she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand-new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest! 

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat. 

Literally.

MY THOUGHTS: I picked up this book because I decided to take part in a 6 month read along of the series.  I think I own books 2 and 3 (just need to find them) so they've always been on my radar.  I'm so glad I decided to because I loved this book and can't wait for more in the series.  And it may be early but I'm anticipating 2024 might just be my urban fantasy era.

Angel Crawford wakes up in the hospital and learns she was found on a country road naked passed out from an overdose. She has no recollection of what happened but when she is discharged, she finds a anonymous note stating she has a job interview at the local morgue and as long as she works there for a month, her current probation officer will not be notified.  Oh, and there is a strange mixture she is told to drink every few days.

Over the next month Angel starts to straighten out her life, learns more about working at the local morgue, makes some new friends and oh yea, learns she is a zombie. Angel tries to navigate her complicated life while learning who made her a zombie and what she needs to do to survive.  She is also suddenly working hand in hand with law enforcement after spending so much time trying to avoid them which is new to her as well.

I loved Angel.  She is HIGHLY flawed, and the author did a good job of explaining why Angel has the problems and at the same time showing that Angel is accountable for a lot of her own issues.  There is a mystery element involved in several aspects and the conclusion was very high-paced and completely caught me off guard.  I did suspect about mid-book who made Angel a zombie, but it was fun seeing if I was right and then learning why.

I know some people don't enjoy zombie books but since this is technically urban fantasy and not horror, Rowland's zombies have a very humane side.  They can still think and go about their average day but suffer serious consequences if they don't eat a brain or two from time to time.  I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to venture into the urban fantasy genre or revisiting an old fave such as me.  

MY RATING: 5 PAWS