I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer

I can't believe I just read this.  I mean, the title is why I did, it just seemed funny.  But now, at the end, I can't decide if the author didn't mean for it to be this dumb of a book, or if he was actually making fun of the themes of young adult books right now.  Since it's classified as a young adult book, I'm going to base this review off of the first.

Alley and her friends are all on the school paper.  Which basically means, in their case, that they sit around and make fun of people all day and in print.  And they are vicious, and proud of it.  Most specifically they like to poke fun at the un-dead lovers.  Ever since vampires, werewolves, etc. came out, it's become a popularity contest to hook up with these undead beings.  A status symbol.  But Alley isn't having any of that.  Until she meets Doug.  Doug is a zombie, and Alley feels a great many things for him, and may change all of her dreams just to be with him.

Selzer actually does a good job at writing a flighty teenage girl.  But Alley has some serious flaws in her character development too.  Aside from regressing instead of growing as a character, she's kind of unbelievable in certain aspects.  For one, she and her group of friends are supposed to not be popular, but funnily enough she acts like all the popular kids that went to my school.  Disdainful of other people and somewhat an emotional bully.  I didn't like her.  Then she meets Doug and this witty, sarcastic person completely melts away.  She changes everything about herself to be with him and considers changing more.  It's very disheartening.  Doug has no charm, which, he is a zombie, so that kind of makes sense.  I certainly don't see what Alley saw in him. 

The writing itself was rushed and there wasn't a lot of background.  We're told about how these creatures "come out" so to speak, but we don't learn the why's, how's and history in depth, which would have been really interesting. It's just kind of written off with lame excuses.  We're continually bounced around in this hyper speed romance too and I think the book only encompasses a week or so, which is really short for a love story.  And the ending, entirely lame and an easy way to cop out of exploring some in-depth themes the book could have had.  It made it too easy for Alley to make decisions. 

I really hope this was satire, but I don't think it was.  Either way, it wasn't developed enough to be a good book.  I certainly won't go out of my way for another of Selzer's books.  But maybe that's why this is a teen book, perhaps they'll find some enjoyment I didn't.

I Kissed A Zombie and I Liked It
Copyright 2010
177 pages