One might think, based on the title, that J.R. Angelella's debut novel, Zombie, is a tale of shambling undead devouring their way through a post-apocalyptic landscape. Well, it's not; rather, it's a story about the undead parts of our own lives, shut down by mass media consumption and cannibalistic social mores, and the bravery needed to strike a new path and lead a life of authenticity.
Jeremy Barker, a 14-year old who's just landed in the hellish environs of an all-boys Catholic high school, is a zombie movie fanatic who has developed rules for living from his obsessive viewing. He needs these defense mechanisms to deal with his pill-popping mom, who's left his dad (who, in turn, might be part of a crazy cult). Angelella's portrayal of the small injustices and everyday violence of high school life is pitch-perfect; he's also astute at capturing the fine line between romantic joy and overactive hormones when Jeremy meets a pretty drama club girl from a nearby school. As the story grows darker and Jeremy's dad ends up in a genuinely menacing place, the action is delivered in crisp, cinematic bursts.
Zombie, like so many of the movies that inspired it, is not for the faint of heart. It is violent and dark but ultimately has a benevolent message about the human capacity for survival--whether we are fighting the walking dead, weird cults or just the scary, sometimes dehumanizing halls of the local high school. --Donald Powell, freelance writer