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Never Slow Dance with a Zombie
Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion meets Night of the Living Dead in this laugh-out-loud debut YA novel by Emmy Award-nominated TV writer E. Van Lowe
Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:
Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.
Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.
Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.
On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!
Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2009
14 people are currently reading
1,270 people want to read
About the author
E. Van Lowe
14 books222 followersE. Van Lowe is an author, television writer/producer who has worked on such TV shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." He has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Academy Award. His first YA Paranormal novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an American Library Association Award. “Boyfriend From Hell,” “Earth Angel,” “Heaven Sent,” and “Falling” are the four books of the Falling Angels Saga.
E lives in Beverly Hills California with his spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes from time-to-time.
E lives in Beverly Hills California with his spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes from time-to-time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
January 10, 2022
Never Show Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe sounded like it could have been a fun parody, but honestly it just comes off as irritating. And for the most part that all goes back to Margot, our lead character, who is one of the most irritating leads I've had the chance to meet in quite a while. The real icing on the cake is that she treats her one friend, Sybil, like trash. Also all of the adult characters are either useless or incompetent. Then there's the zombie element which was really underwhelming, and half the time didn't follow the rules it set up for them either.
October 21, 2011
YAY ZOMBIES!!! how can that not be a win? that was probably why i picked up this book in the first place(my big love for all things zombie related:Dawn of the Dead,Shaun of the dead,zombieland, 30 days later...you get the idea)...though you'd think a zombie would not be a good undead boyfriend right?
This was obviously a parody on YA supernatural romance. I liked how unusual the book was and most of the time it was very goofy, never really taking the zombie situation very seriously.(I mean really? a whole carnival of people turn into zombies and there's not a single intelligent adult out there besides our heroine,her friend and the school principle that notices??)
At first the incredulity of the situationomg!!absolutely annoyed me but after accepting its not supposed to make sense and its all for silly fun i actually began to enjoy the novel.
The development of Margot's friendship with Sybil was probably the best part of the book. Margot seriously annoyed me for most of the novel. Some of the things she does are plain stupid!
As unrealistic as the situation was(should there ever be a real zombie outbreak im sure i would be busy surviving instead of attending school) the book was a fun read that is good for some giggles.
This was obviously a parody on YA supernatural romance. I liked how unusual the book was and most of the time it was very goofy, never really taking the zombie situation very seriously.(I mean really? a whole carnival of people turn into zombies and there's not a single intelligent adult out there besides our heroine,her friend and the school principle that notices??)
At first the incredulity of the situation
The development of Margot's friendship with Sybil was probably the best part of the book. Margot seriously annoyed me for most of the novel. Some of the things she does are plain stupid!
As unrealistic as the situation was(should there ever be a real zombie outbreak im sure i would be busy surviving instead of attending school) the book was a fun read that is good for some giggles.
September 14, 2009
Never Slow Dance With A Zombie is a super cute *arghhh* (sorry that was supposed to be a zombie growl, but it sounds more like a pirate hehe) zombie novel. E. Van Lowe's writing is funny which makes it a fun, fast paced read. I liked most of the characters, except with the exception of one. The main character Margot starts out being a self-centered brat that only cares about being popular, being invited to parties and getting a boyfriend. It seems like her whole life revolved around a manifesto list which she created that includes those wants and more. My favorite character would have to be Sybil, she is a sweet, caring girl that wants nothing more than her best friend Margot to be happy. If only Margot could see that right, or does she?...hmmm, don't want to give that away. To sum it up a little...one day Margot and Sybil go to school and pretty much 90% of the student body are turned into zombies for the exception of a few classmates, the principal and gym teacher. At first I was a little confused because their was no explanation to why this occurred, but as I read it all the answers were eventually revealed. I also enjoyed how E. Van Lowe used different, unique names for his characters instead of the cliche names found in books today. Overall, a very cute read and I definitely recommend it if you're a zombie lover! Grrrargh...is that more zombie like? Oh well, I tried :) Let me just add, E. Van Lowe is also one of the nicest author's I've met, he is extremely sweet to his fans and is always there if you have questions.
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June 9, 2011Review originally posted to www.books4hearts.com
This book was very peculiar. If I was required to give my opinion of it in three words I would say "Surprisingly, bizarrely epic!". I had no expectations whatsoever of this book (nothing against the author or anything, I don't mean it like that); I'd never seen or heard of it before the book fair where I picked it up at and the description reads like a middle-grade geek to popular and all of a sudden it's perfect world type of book. So often when I have pre-conceived ideas about books (or anything, really, I suppose) I am wrong. This one, I was wrong simply because I underestimated it.
Never Slow Dance with a zombie starts out and basically the main character just wants to be popular and she has one of those super nice, very sensible, best friends. I kind of went... oh... no.... but then, on top of the lessons you would think would come along with a book like this, it was sooo funny. At the beginning I was just like... how could that happen? With the zombies taking over the school and everything and no one even knows why/how/etc...? But then I went... duh. I'm over thinking this. Of course I'm not supposed to believe it, this book is supposed to be fun and funny, regardless of its plausibility!
That being said, Never Slow Dance with A Zombie was hilarious! It was very peculiar (I don't want to call it weird. I've been calling a lot of really dark books weird and this one is anything but). I thought it would be very gory because it's about zombies and it wasn't (not that I would have minded, heh heh). The whole situation the school was in was really amusing. The characters were good, as I said, I really liked Sybil. The geeks were funny. Also, that ONE girl that wasn't really a zombie... I saw that coming. In a good way.
This book was very peculiar. If I was required to give my opinion of it in three words I would say "Surprisingly, bizarrely epic!". I had no expectations whatsoever of this book (nothing against the author or anything, I don't mean it like that); I'd never seen or heard of it before the book fair where I picked it up at and the description reads like a middle-grade geek to popular and all of a sudden it's perfect world type of book. So often when I have pre-conceived ideas about books (or anything, really, I suppose) I am wrong. This one, I was wrong simply because I underestimated it.
Never Slow Dance with a zombie starts out and basically the main character just wants to be popular and she has one of those super nice, very sensible, best friends. I kind of went... oh... no.... but then, on top of the lessons you would think would come along with a book like this, it was sooo funny. At the beginning I was just like... how could that happen? With the zombies taking over the school and everything and no one even knows why/how/etc...? But then I went... duh. I'm over thinking this. Of course I'm not supposed to believe it, this book is supposed to be fun and funny, regardless of its plausibility!
That being said, Never Slow Dance with A Zombie was hilarious! It was very peculiar (I don't want to call it weird. I've been calling a lot of really dark books weird and this one is anything but). I thought it would be very gory because it's about zombies and it wasn't (not that I would have minded, heh heh). The whole situation the school was in was really amusing. The characters were good, as I said, I really liked Sybil. The geeks were funny. Also, that ONE girl that wasn't really a zombie... I saw that coming. In a good way.
April 4, 2017
I did not enjoy this book at all. The main character was horrible, the surrounding characters were flat as cardboard cutouts, and the story was neither believable nor well thought out. The zombies didn't come in until over a quarter into the book, and then the rules of the zombie world weren't consistent. The girls have to blend in to avoid being zombie lunch, but then they're able to chat and move around the zombies at will. And then there are über-zombies who can run because they were runners on the track team and they don't function like the rest of the student body? No. The cliques and stereotypes were too much. So much cliche I wanted to stop reading. I probably would have if I wasn't reading it for a challenge.
June 5, 2017
I couldn't forget the cute title of this book so I had to read it! It's a YA coming of age story for the main character Margot, who wants to be popular and have a boyfriend! Margot, her best friend Sybil, and two geeks are the only students in their high school who aren't zombies! Now Margot can get her wish to be prom queen!
April 1, 2013
Review Posted on Reading Lark on 7/12/10: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2010/...
I was a bit skeptical going into this one. I had picked the book up several times and had always discarded it for something else. However, the last time I was book shopping I decided I should just give it a shot. I am not a major fan of zombie stories, but it seems that they are picking up steam in the recent supernatural influx into the literary world. Yes, I know supernatural books have always been around, but it seems like more are cropping up every day. I couldn’t be happier. I’m like a kid in a candy store! However, I digress back to the zombies….
Margot Jean Johnson is your average teenager. She spends her time with her best friend, crushes on the hottest boy in school, and attempts to elevate her social status. However, that’s a little hard to do with Amanda Culpepper, the queen bee of Salesian High in her way. Margot and Amanda go way back in their bitterness for one another – all the way back to 7th grade. As Margot begins her Junior year she refuses to allow Amanda to continue to rule the social calendar with an iron fist and vows to fight back. That would be a lot easier if her best friend wasn’t crusading to the make world a better place and she could lose the dork who is enamored with her. To make matters worse, Margot is a slight bit on the chubby side so no matter how hard she tries she just can’t outcute that pesky Amanda.
Then one fateful evening everything changes. On the night of the school’s carnival, anybody who’s anybody is in attendance – which pretty much means that Margot and her best friend, Sybil, are not there. This time being a nobody is a good thing. Everyone who attended the carnival has been transformed into a zombie. How could this have happened? The undead begin to roam the halls of Salesian High in the same cliques they had in life, but now there is no tardiness, no disrespectful behavior, no normal teenage behavior. Margot and Sybil are ecstatic at first; they have full run of the school to achieve all their wildest dreams. However, their happiness is not to last. Are there other non-zombies hiding out in the school? Who caused the whole problem anyway? Is there a solution to the zombie problem?
Margot will have to search deep within herself to understand that everything is not always what it seems and learn to listen to her heart. Can she make the right decision before it’s too late?
I loved the character of Margot. She is strong and real; I also liked how the author didn’t make her perfect in every single way. Margot has lots of flaws, but in the end her spunk will win you over. I also have to admit I developed a tiny literary crush on her dorky admirer, Baron. I’d be interested to see if anyone else comes away with the same feelings. E. Van Lowe is a wonderful writer who kept me in suspense and stitches throughout the entire book. I highly recommend this one.
I was a bit skeptical going into this one. I had picked the book up several times and had always discarded it for something else. However, the last time I was book shopping I decided I should just give it a shot. I am not a major fan of zombie stories, but it seems that they are picking up steam in the recent supernatural influx into the literary world. Yes, I know supernatural books have always been around, but it seems like more are cropping up every day. I couldn’t be happier. I’m like a kid in a candy store! However, I digress back to the zombies….
Margot Jean Johnson is your average teenager. She spends her time with her best friend, crushes on the hottest boy in school, and attempts to elevate her social status. However, that’s a little hard to do with Amanda Culpepper, the queen bee of Salesian High in her way. Margot and Amanda go way back in their bitterness for one another – all the way back to 7th grade. As Margot begins her Junior year she refuses to allow Amanda to continue to rule the social calendar with an iron fist and vows to fight back. That would be a lot easier if her best friend wasn’t crusading to the make world a better place and she could lose the dork who is enamored with her. To make matters worse, Margot is a slight bit on the chubby side so no matter how hard she tries she just can’t outcute that pesky Amanda.
Then one fateful evening everything changes. On the night of the school’s carnival, anybody who’s anybody is in attendance – which pretty much means that Margot and her best friend, Sybil, are not there. This time being a nobody is a good thing. Everyone who attended the carnival has been transformed into a zombie. How could this have happened? The undead begin to roam the halls of Salesian High in the same cliques they had in life, but now there is no tardiness, no disrespectful behavior, no normal teenage behavior. Margot and Sybil are ecstatic at first; they have full run of the school to achieve all their wildest dreams. However, their happiness is not to last. Are there other non-zombies hiding out in the school? Who caused the whole problem anyway? Is there a solution to the zombie problem?
Margot will have to search deep within herself to understand that everything is not always what it seems and learn to listen to her heart. Can she make the right decision before it’s too late?
I loved the character of Margot. She is strong and real; I also liked how the author didn’t make her perfect in every single way. Margot has lots of flaws, but in the end her spunk will win you over. I also have to admit I developed a tiny literary crush on her dorky admirer, Baron. I’d be interested to see if anyone else comes away with the same feelings. E. Van Lowe is a wonderful writer who kept me in suspense and stitches throughout the entire book. I highly recommend this one.
July 25, 2011
I'm currently on a zombie spree when it comes to reading, so after randomly sighting this book, I naturally had to read it. Its premise is rather funny; two years into high school, and the main characher hasn't accomplished anything on her ""Do This Before the end of High School"" lost, including such typical wants as ""Be popular,"" ""Get a boyfriend,"" etc. When a sudden zombie plague hits the school turning all but a few students into zombies, she decides to exploit the situation to make all her high school dreams come true. After all, give a zombie a piece of raw steak, and it'll do pretty much anything you want it to (at least according to this book).
Though the premise is amusing, the story falls somewhat short in execution. What the back of the book promises to be an outrageous reading experience is actually not especially noteworthy, possibly due to the main character's rather commonplace (and oddly, out-of-place) level-headedness. Take the zombies out of this story, and what you have is a rather unexceptional story of an average high school student who is tired of being average.
After finishing the novel, I realized that the person who wrote the novel was a writer for such programs as 'Even Stevens,' which was one of my favorite shows as a child. Having learned that, I could totally see this novel working as an episode of a TV show with such a sense of humor. As a novel, though, it lacks that necessary pow!
Though the premise is amusing, the story falls somewhat short in execution. What the back of the book promises to be an outrageous reading experience is actually not especially noteworthy, possibly due to the main character's rather commonplace (and oddly, out-of-place) level-headedness. Take the zombies out of this story, and what you have is a rather unexceptional story of an average high school student who is tired of being average.
After finishing the novel, I realized that the person who wrote the novel was a writer for such programs as 'Even Stevens,' which was one of my favorite shows as a child. Having learned that, I could totally see this novel working as an episode of a TV show with such a sense of humor. As a novel, though, it lacks that necessary pow!
March 4, 2015
Sometimes I feel like I wasted two hours of my life reading a book. And, um, this is one of those. For Popular Paperbacks, I'm on the Zombie/Werewolf/Things with Wings committee, and I'm started to really mourn the lack of "good" writing and zombies. Come on, writers! If you're going to go with zombies, can't you make it awesome? Toby Barlow made werewolves awesome a few years ago with Sharp Teeth. Scott Westerfeld and M.T. Anderson made vampires awesome with Peeps and Thirsty
October 13, 2012
Creepily Cute.
That's what this book was to me. It was a fun book and perfect for the season. A great fit for tweens and teens alike, but a lot of adults will enjoy it too. It is storytelling that lures you in and you get lost in the story, reaching for the end.
This one has all the right elements too. Excitement, adventure, mystery, love and friendship are all key in this story, as well as the paranormal twist with zombies.
I know a lot of people that will devour this story, like zombies devour brains!!
That's what this book was to me. It was a fun book and perfect for the season. A great fit for tweens and teens alike, but a lot of adults will enjoy it too. It is storytelling that lures you in and you get lost in the story, reaching for the end.
This one has all the right elements too. Excitement, adventure, mystery, love and friendship are all key in this story, as well as the paranormal twist with zombies.
I know a lot of people that will devour this story, like zombies devour brains!!
February 10, 2015
Ugh. Ugh. UGH!
The only reason I'm not giving this book a 1 star rating is because I usually reserve that for books I really really despise, and while I really hated this book, there were a few things I did like about it and there were moments where I wanted to keep reading it to find out what was going to happen. But seriously, what was E. Van Lowe even THINKING writing this book?
Let's start with the bad... and there was a lot of it.
Oh. My. God. No.
Okay, not only is the set up of this book completely stupid... but wtf kind of zombies are these anyway?
Holy shit this is the stupidest zombie thing I've ever read. Now, I'm fine with breaking tradition on these kinds of things... but then it needs to be funny. At first I thought maybe it WOULD get funny...
Now let's talk about Margot again and how she is quite possibly one of the WORST characters in literary history. I'm sorry... I don't care how much you crave popularity, you aren't THAT stupid that you will coexist with zombies to get your popularity, even when you can clearly see it doesn't make you popular because the only other alive person is your bestie who you are treating like shit.
And the twist? How the zombies came about... oh GOD HOW STUPID!!!!! Oh Christ. I can't... I just can't.
And the ENDING! It was like E. Van Lowe finally realized the pile of garbage he had written and couldn't wait for it to end himself and so just very speedily and hastily was like and then I hope he thought "Holy crap I can't believe I wrote this pile of crap and it's actually getting published."
Oh yeah, and let's not forget Ugh.
Now, I did mention there were some things I liked right? Well, there wasn't much, but to be fair, I'll talk about them too.
My favorite part of this book? The geek duo - Milton and Baron. They were fantastic. All the time. Loved them.
The other thing I liked - while I HATED Margot and after a while it was apparent she had become a selfish bitch to have some sort of revelation at the end and realize how much she sucked at life, I thought that was played out well, and I liked that Margot held herself accountable for her stupid actions instead of throwing a pity party for herself. And I, of course, also enjoyed the message to just be yourself. That popularity is really not popularity at all but a false life style of people not being happy or being who they want to be. And that being yourself and being happy with who you are is what makes you popular and happy. I love that message because I know for a fact it's true. And even though the zombie aspect of this story was completely stupid and ridiculous, using it as a way to convey being an individual and fighting against the pressures of being a certain way, looking a certain way, dressing a certain way, etc. is what will make you happy and successful was mildly successful.
So, there was a good message behind the story... it's unfortunate the story itself had to suck so much.
The only reason I'm not giving this book a 1 star rating is because I usually reserve that for books I really really despise, and while I really hated this book, there were a few things I did like about it and there were moments where I wanted to keep reading it to find out what was going to happen. But seriously, what was E. Van Lowe even THINKING writing this book?
Let's start with the bad... and there was a lot of it.
Oh. My. God. No.
Okay, not only is the set up of this book completely stupid... but wtf kind of zombies are these anyway?
Holy shit this is the stupidest zombie thing I've ever read. Now, I'm fine with breaking tradition on these kinds of things... but then it needs to be funny. At first I thought maybe it WOULD get funny...
Now let's talk about Margot again and how she is quite possibly one of the WORST characters in literary history. I'm sorry... I don't care how much you crave popularity, you aren't THAT stupid that you will coexist with zombies to get your popularity, even when you can clearly see it doesn't make you popular because the only other alive person is your bestie who you are treating like shit.
And the twist? How the zombies came about... oh GOD HOW STUPID!!!!! Oh Christ. I can't... I just can't.
And the ENDING! It was like E. Van Lowe finally realized the pile of garbage he had written and couldn't wait for it to end himself and so just very speedily and hastily was like and then I hope he thought "Holy crap I can't believe I wrote this pile of crap and it's actually getting published."
Oh yeah, and let's not forget Ugh.
Now, I did mention there were some things I liked right? Well, there wasn't much, but to be fair, I'll talk about them too.
My favorite part of this book? The geek duo - Milton and Baron. They were fantastic. All the time. Loved them.
The other thing I liked - while I HATED Margot and after a while it was apparent she had become a selfish bitch to have some sort of revelation at the end and realize how much she sucked at life, I thought that was played out well, and I liked that Margot held herself accountable for her stupid actions instead of throwing a pity party for herself. And I, of course, also enjoyed the message to just be yourself. That popularity is really not popularity at all but a false life style of people not being happy or being who they want to be. And that being yourself and being happy with who you are is what makes you popular and happy. I love that message because I know for a fact it's true. And even though the zombie aspect of this story was completely stupid and ridiculous, using it as a way to convey being an individual and fighting against the pressures of being a certain way, looking a certain way, dressing a certain way, etc. is what will make you happy and successful was mildly successful.
So, there was a good message behind the story... it's unfortunate the story itself had to suck so much.
January 3, 2021
Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe is about a teen girl who is hoping to make the rest of her school year fabulous. At almost sixteen, Margo, and her best friend at both outcasts, or at least they think they are. One day Sybil suggests that Margo make her junior high manifesto a reality by asking Dirk to the Sadie Hawkins Carnival. Nothing goes as planned, and Sybil and Margo have a fight, leading to Margo missing the carnival and Sybil returning home before it is late at all. The next day, when Sybil and Margo go to school they realize something is different. Almost everyone is a zombie. So how do two girls survive zombies and high school?
I thought this was an interesting idea and it sounded like a fun zombie book, however, it was not at all what I wanted. Margot was not a fun character to read. She was selfish and horrible towards her best friend, Sybil. I don't know how she had any friends, and I don't know why anyone would want to continue to be a friend to her when all she cares about is herself. Yes, there are points in the book where she treats Sybil like a person and someone she cares about, but overall, it is not a good relationship. In the characters I also am not sure why there wasn't much in regard to Sybil. There didn't seem to be enough character development, of her or her family. The reader doesn't get to learn anything about her family, or her life before she moved, or why her family moved. This is a theme throughout the book - none of the characters are very well defined. The principal, Mr. Taft, is a major character in the plot and yet the reader does not get to know anything about him or his motives.
The story was okay, not as interesting as I thought it would be. More than have of the book was Margo trying to tame and enjoy her zombie boyfriend, who she has forced into servitude. She fights with Sybil, and disregards everything she should be doing, just to be popular. This was a fast read, I am not a fan of not finishing a book, otherwise it wasn't worth the read. This is recommended for grades 8-10 but I think it is probably for for 5-6 grade as it doesn't have enough to recommend it to someone in 8-10th grade. Even though the girls were sophomores in high school it doesn't offer enough for students at that age.
I don't want to say too much in case anyone wants to read this book. It might be of interest to someone. It was not for me.
I thought this was an interesting idea and it sounded like a fun zombie book, however, it was not at all what I wanted. Margot was not a fun character to read. She was selfish and horrible towards her best friend, Sybil. I don't know how she had any friends, and I don't know why anyone would want to continue to be a friend to her when all she cares about is herself. Yes, there are points in the book where she treats Sybil like a person and someone she cares about, but overall, it is not a good relationship. In the characters I also am not sure why there wasn't much in regard to Sybil. There didn't seem to be enough character development, of her or her family. The reader doesn't get to learn anything about her family, or her life before she moved, or why her family moved. This is a theme throughout the book - none of the characters are very well defined. The principal, Mr. Taft, is a major character in the plot and yet the reader does not get to know anything about him or his motives.
The story was okay, not as interesting as I thought it would be. More than have of the book was Margo trying to tame and enjoy her zombie boyfriend, who she has forced into servitude. She fights with Sybil, and disregards everything she should be doing, just to be popular. This was a fast read, I am not a fan of not finishing a book, otherwise it wasn't worth the read. This is recommended for grades 8-10 but I think it is probably for for 5-6 grade as it doesn't have enough to recommend it to someone in 8-10th grade. Even though the girls were sophomores in high school it doesn't offer enough for students at that age.
I don't want to say too much in case anyone wants to read this book. It might be of interest to someone. It was not for me.
May 9, 2018
Sometimes you need a love story with a little bit of a twist. Juniors in high-school, as a senior myself, are very relatable. They have to save their whole school from the zombie infestation, all 4 students still living as humans. Margot, Sybil, Barron and Milton join forces to fit in as zombies during the day and control them as much as possible with the help of their principal, at least they think. Teenage popularity plays a major role through the whole book when Margot claims the cutest *zombie* boy, Dirk, as net boyfriend and shuns the it-girl, Amanda. I love the complications between best friends, fighting over boys and what’s wrong and right. While kind of cliche, the geeky boy Barron has an eternal crush on Margot, who of course doesn’t give him the time of day until all of their classmates are zombies and her best friend, Sybil, starts to flirt with him. Seeing a portrayal of best friends fighting over a boy while their school is the living dead adds some humor to the very real portrayal of how best friends act. I love to read teen books, and this one adds such a fun twist to a typical teen drama. We see a side of highschool most adults never see. The cliques and the pecking order; the importance of being “the” couple and just how much all of that doesn’t matter when your gym teacher is trying to turn you into a zombie as well. Who doesn’t like a book about the whole school turning into zombies due to the principal and gym teacher?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 5, 2011Never Slow Dance With a Zombie. I mean, come on. How could I not want to read a book with a title like that!? I dare you to read the title and not snerk just a little bit. And the cover (see right) is pretty! I’ll fully admit that I bought this book because of the title, the cover, and the fact that the zombies were, GASP, gross. (No, I’m not still bitter about Generation Dead being such a letdown. Why do you ask?).
The book, written by E. Van Lowe, tells the story of Margot Jean Johnson, intrepid high school junior who, like all geeky high school junior girls, desperately wants to be cool. She’s finally given her chance when, with no explanation and completely out of the blue, every student in the school shows up as a zombie. And these are proper zombies, complete with flesh eating urges, crumbling/decomposing bodies, grotesque smells of funk, and weird, green pallor. Suddenly, Margot is chair of the Homecoming Committee, the Prom Committee, the Christmas Festival Committee, and the Caroling Committee…all of it. Her arch nemesis, Amanda Culpepper and former It Girl of Salesian High, is stuck scrounging for raw meat. As a result, Margot, along with her best friend, Sybil, decides this will be her best semester ever.
I loved this book. So much. It was real, the voice was relatable (and appropriately obnoxious), and, most of all, it was smart. This is a smart book. As I was reading I was reminded, strongly, of Kafka. Specifically The Metamorphosis. Except instead of Margot waking up and suddenly discovering she’s a bug, everyone else is the bug. Margot has become Gregor’s sister, the one really being tested.
The rest of the students are zombies and this means that Margot is officially the coolest girl in school, so the question is: is being popular worth it? Despite being the coolest girl in school, Margot still has to go along with the pack. She can’t show originality. She can’t be unique. She can’t show any individuality lest she be eaten by her classmates. Literally. But Margot doesn’t care. She’s living her fantasy high school experience.
This is another real strength of this book. Margot is incredibly relatable. She’s not a delicate snowflake who doesn’t realize that she looks like a supermodel…she’s a real girl who, while not ugly, isn’t gorgeous either. But she’s quirky. She’s hysterical. And you can’t help but root for her. Being Margot in high school (and let’s face it, most people are), is hard. High School teaches you that you want to be with the in-crowd. You want to be the person people like. Even if you know it’s ridiculous and even if you know that the people who are the It Crowd maybe kind of suck.
That said, Margot is so real and so relatable that you can’t help but find her annoying. I’ve been through that awful seventeen year old girl stage, and I was a twit during it. But I grew up and got past that, and so I couldn’t help wanting to grab Margot by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Knowing the things Margot struggles to figure out can make her seem petty and weak and just plain stupid. But as Margot starts to get a clue, you remember that moment when you realized how ridiculous you used to be, and your fondness for her only grows. You feel sorry for her as you see just how pathetic she is at her lowest point, and that just makes you root for her even harder.
As I began reading, I was disappointed at the cut-out-esque qualities of the “villains” in the social structure. You have the beautiful blonde who doesn’t care about anyone but herself and lives to make other people miserable so she can feel cool. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked this portrayal of the villain. That’s what high school is like. The mean girls are almost always petty and superficial and just that…mean. But that’s what they’re like in school and that’s what people see. That doesn’t mean that’s all there is to them, something Margot will learn for herself.
The genius of the book was the characterization of the good guys. Margot. Sybil, her eccentric and adorable best friend. Baron, the boy who is crazy in love with Margot and not afraid to show it. And Milton, the boy version of Margot.
The biggest weakness of this book was the ending. Not that the ending wasn’t great, because it was. but because it felt rushed. This was one of the shortest YA books I’ve read in a while, and I think it could have benefitted from another 25-50 pages. The action at the end is intense, but there isn’t a lot of time to come down from it and I would have liked that. It wasn’t a set-up for a sequel, either (though I’d love to read more about Margot, even without the zombies), so it was a little bit frustrating to know that there was no more.
My only other quibble was that, despite Margot seeming so relatable, there were a few instances when I felt like she was a little older than she should be…places where the author maybe peeked through the prose to say hi. Still, these were few and I was so busy giggling at what Margot said/did next that I didn’t care.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It’s funny and smart and does a great job at poking fun of what YA literature has been reduced to lately. There are twists and turns and actual plot to go along with Margot’s personal struggle, and I couldn’t put it down until complete.
Reviewed on WhatchYAreading on October 13, 2009.
The book, written by E. Van Lowe, tells the story of Margot Jean Johnson, intrepid high school junior who, like all geeky high school junior girls, desperately wants to be cool. She’s finally given her chance when, with no explanation and completely out of the blue, every student in the school shows up as a zombie. And these are proper zombies, complete with flesh eating urges, crumbling/decomposing bodies, grotesque smells of funk, and weird, green pallor. Suddenly, Margot is chair of the Homecoming Committee, the Prom Committee, the Christmas Festival Committee, and the Caroling Committee…all of it. Her arch nemesis, Amanda Culpepper and former It Girl of Salesian High, is stuck scrounging for raw meat. As a result, Margot, along with her best friend, Sybil, decides this will be her best semester ever.
I loved this book. So much. It was real, the voice was relatable (and appropriately obnoxious), and, most of all, it was smart. This is a smart book. As I was reading I was reminded, strongly, of Kafka. Specifically The Metamorphosis. Except instead of Margot waking up and suddenly discovering she’s a bug, everyone else is the bug. Margot has become Gregor’s sister, the one really being tested.
The rest of the students are zombies and this means that Margot is officially the coolest girl in school, so the question is: is being popular worth it? Despite being the coolest girl in school, Margot still has to go along with the pack. She can’t show originality. She can’t be unique. She can’t show any individuality lest she be eaten by her classmates. Literally. But Margot doesn’t care. She’s living her fantasy high school experience.
This is another real strength of this book. Margot is incredibly relatable. She’s not a delicate snowflake who doesn’t realize that she looks like a supermodel…she’s a real girl who, while not ugly, isn’t gorgeous either. But she’s quirky. She’s hysterical. And you can’t help but root for her. Being Margot in high school (and let’s face it, most people are), is hard. High School teaches you that you want to be with the in-crowd. You want to be the person people like. Even if you know it’s ridiculous and even if you know that the people who are the It Crowd maybe kind of suck.
That said, Margot is so real and so relatable that you can’t help but find her annoying. I’ve been through that awful seventeen year old girl stage, and I was a twit during it. But I grew up and got past that, and so I couldn’t help wanting to grab Margot by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Knowing the things Margot struggles to figure out can make her seem petty and weak and just plain stupid. But as Margot starts to get a clue, you remember that moment when you realized how ridiculous you used to be, and your fondness for her only grows. You feel sorry for her as you see just how pathetic she is at her lowest point, and that just makes you root for her even harder.
As I began reading, I was disappointed at the cut-out-esque qualities of the “villains” in the social structure. You have the beautiful blonde who doesn’t care about anyone but herself and lives to make other people miserable so she can feel cool. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked this portrayal of the villain. That’s what high school is like. The mean girls are almost always petty and superficial and just that…mean. But that’s what they’re like in school and that’s what people see. That doesn’t mean that’s all there is to them, something Margot will learn for herself.
The genius of the book was the characterization of the good guys. Margot. Sybil, her eccentric and adorable best friend. Baron, the boy who is crazy in love with Margot and not afraid to show it. And Milton, the boy version of Margot.
The biggest weakness of this book was the ending. Not that the ending wasn’t great, because it was. but because it felt rushed. This was one of the shortest YA books I’ve read in a while, and I think it could have benefitted from another 25-50 pages. The action at the end is intense, but there isn’t a lot of time to come down from it and I would have liked that. It wasn’t a set-up for a sequel, either (though I’d love to read more about Margot, even without the zombies), so it was a little bit frustrating to know that there was no more.
My only other quibble was that, despite Margot seeming so relatable, there were a few instances when I felt like she was a little older than she should be…places where the author maybe peeked through the prose to say hi. Still, these were few and I was so busy giggling at what Margot said/did next that I didn’t care.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It’s funny and smart and does a great job at poking fun of what YA literature has been reduced to lately. There are twists and turns and actual plot to go along with Margot’s personal struggle, and I couldn’t put it down until complete.
Reviewed on WhatchYAreading on October 13, 2009.
June 20, 2017
I'm not one to pick out books with "zombie" in the title, but thought I'd try something different than what I usually read. This was a quirky story about high school (popularity, cliques, boyfriends, friendship) but with the zombie motif on top of it, it was pretty engaging. The main character, Margot, is completely believable and realistic, and the lessons she learns at the end are good ones. I have some readers at school who would definitely like this kind of story.
February 18, 2018
At first I felt that it was just a book filled with stupidity, but then it turned into a book full of suspense and I couldn't stand to put it down. I wish that it wasn't as short as it was, but the book has a major plot twist.
September 1, 2018
This book wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.It was kind of cheesy and funny regardless of all the plot holes you could think up or the Stephen King comparison at the end (this writing didn't remind me of Stephen King one bit) it was cute.
June 5, 2024
This book was from middle school. I really needed to get it off my shelf but wanted to read it one more time. It was very much a basic coming of age story. Will be donating for sure
Trope: Zombies, Coming of Age
🌶️: 0/5
Trope: Zombies, Coming of Age
🌶️: 0/5
July 10, 2024
Fun read. Just what I liked in high school.
July 10, 2012
Reviewed at On a Book Bender.
You know when you're reading a book and you know it's supposed to be tongue in cheek and you try really hard to take it in that vein but it doesn't quite happen and you're staring in this kind of stupified trance through large portions of said book? Yeah, that happened to me. - pauses - I *know* that it's a allegory about high school and the lengths we'll go to the fit in and be liked but... I didn't like the main character until the very end and that was very distracting.
Let's start there, shall we? Margot was not a nice person. She's mean. She treats her best friend terribly when Sybil is nothing but supportive (in a vacant, not-quite-there way) of all of Margot's weirdness. Dude, I get that high school is cutthroat and vicious but Margot's sole aim is be the "It-Girl" of Salesian High and she acts - in the beginning of the book - pretty much exactly like the girls she loves to hate. The things she said to Sybil were downright hurtful and I kept wondering why Sybil was bothering to put up with it. Then there's the unobtainable jock that Margot is determined to have. Uhhh... okay. She really knows nothing about him, she doesn't even know if he knows her name before he gets zombified, and yet she's willing to risk her humanity to have him as her "boyfriend" once he is a zombie. I'm shaking my head over this, can you tell?
Meanwhile, there's another boy. This one isn't popular but he likes Margot. Do you guys want to know what I was thinking as I read that? WHY??? WHY DO YOU LIKE HER??? She's a terrible person who cuts down her best friend constantly and has very few redeeming characteristics. Part of me wanted Baron (Heee... I love that name) to end up with Margot because that's what he wanted and part of me was screaming at him to run in the other direction because Margot was not good enough for him. *le sigh*
I think my problem here was twofold. First off, I didn't like Margot until she realized the error of her ways and starting thinking of other people but herself. Secondly, the idea behind why they thought they could get away with pretending that the zombies were just normal kids was silly bordering on ridiculous. Really, I get that this book is poking fun at high school and the hoops that we'll jump through to be top dog but... it wasn't for me.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
You know when you're reading a book and you know it's supposed to be tongue in cheek and you try really hard to take it in that vein but it doesn't quite happen and you're staring in this kind of stupified trance through large portions of said book? Yeah, that happened to me. - pauses - I *know* that it's a allegory about high school and the lengths we'll go to the fit in and be liked but... I didn't like the main character until the very end and that was very distracting.
Let's start there, shall we? Margot was not a nice person. She's mean. She treats her best friend terribly when Sybil is nothing but supportive (in a vacant, not-quite-there way) of all of Margot's weirdness. Dude, I get that high school is cutthroat and vicious but Margot's sole aim is be the "It-Girl" of Salesian High and she acts - in the beginning of the book - pretty much exactly like the girls she loves to hate. The things she said to Sybil were downright hurtful and I kept wondering why Sybil was bothering to put up with it. Then there's the unobtainable jock that Margot is determined to have. Uhhh... okay. She really knows nothing about him, she doesn't even know if he knows her name before he gets zombified, and yet she's willing to risk her humanity to have him as her "boyfriend" once he is a zombie. I'm shaking my head over this, can you tell?
Meanwhile, there's another boy. This one isn't popular but he likes Margot. Do you guys want to know what I was thinking as I read that? WHY??? WHY DO YOU LIKE HER??? She's a terrible person who cuts down her best friend constantly and has very few redeeming characteristics. Part of me wanted Baron (Heee... I love that name) to end up with Margot because that's what he wanted and part of me was screaming at him to run in the other direction because Margot was not good enough for him. *le sigh*
I think my problem here was twofold. First off, I didn't like Margot until she realized the error of her ways and starting thinking of other people but herself. Secondly, the idea behind why they thought they could get away with pretending that the zombies were just normal kids was silly bordering on ridiculous. Really, I get that this book is poking fun at high school and the hoops that we'll jump through to be top dog but... it wasn't for me.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
August 30, 2009
At school, Margot is a nobody. She and her best friend Sybil don't belong in any cliques and are bullied by the "popular" clique. Margot really wants to improve her social status. Since there is a carnival going on in town, Margot decides to ask handsome, smart and popular Dirk Conrad to go with her in hopes of becoming popular. When Margot learns that Dirk is apparently Amanda's (the prettiest and most popular girl in school) boyfriend, she decides to not go to the carnival. And going with just Sybil is social suicide in her opinion.
When Margot arrives at school the day after the carnival, she learns that every student in school, besides her and Sybil, have been turned into zombies. Everybody who went to the carnival. The only living people in her school are her, Sybil and Principal Taft. Their principal begs them to try to live with the zombies at school, promising them popularity and important roles in school such as Prom Queen and Head Cheerleader. He gives them a list of simple rules that will help them succeed in not being attacked and turned into a zombie themselves. Margot thinks that her dream is finally coming true. She'll be the most popular girl in school AND have the best boyfriend, even if he is a zombie who wants to rip her head off. Everything is going great until things start to turn bad and she realizes somebody is out to get her and Sybil. Somebody wants them to be a part of the living dead. And she is not about to let that happen.
What a great read! I really like this book. I was craving a zombie comedy read and I definitely satisfied that craving with the book. It's cute, funny and full of action. The book is very well written and I couldn't put it down. I was hooked from the beginning and I laughed out loud several times. It's probably one of the funniest books I've read. The book never has a dull moment and I definitely plan on re reading it when I have time. I love Margot as the main character. She puts herself in the worst positions and gets herself out of them in a laugh out loud manner. The ending is great and the book has tons of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Recommended? Yes! Put this book in your "to read" pile because you'll fully enjoy it as I did. I'm really hoping for a sequel. Maybe it could be "Never Slow Dance With A Werewolf" or something. :P
-Marisa
When Margot arrives at school the day after the carnival, she learns that every student in school, besides her and Sybil, have been turned into zombies. Everybody who went to the carnival. The only living people in her school are her, Sybil and Principal Taft. Their principal begs them to try to live with the zombies at school, promising them popularity and important roles in school such as Prom Queen and Head Cheerleader. He gives them a list of simple rules that will help them succeed in not being attacked and turned into a zombie themselves. Margot thinks that her dream is finally coming true. She'll be the most popular girl in school AND have the best boyfriend, even if he is a zombie who wants to rip her head off. Everything is going great until things start to turn bad and she realizes somebody is out to get her and Sybil. Somebody wants them to be a part of the living dead. And she is not about to let that happen.
What a great read! I really like this book. I was craving a zombie comedy read and I definitely satisfied that craving with the book. It's cute, funny and full of action. The book is very well written and I couldn't put it down. I was hooked from the beginning and I laughed out loud several times. It's probably one of the funniest books I've read. The book never has a dull moment and I definitely plan on re reading it when I have time. I love Margot as the main character. She puts herself in the worst positions and gets herself out of them in a laugh out loud manner. The ending is great and the book has tons of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Recommended? Yes! Put this book in your "to read" pile because you'll fully enjoy it as I did. I'm really hoping for a sequel. Maybe it could be "Never Slow Dance With A Werewolf" or something. :P
-Marisa
October 27, 2009
I don't think that I've ever read a zombie book before that I would call cute but there is a first time for everything. Never Slow Dance with a Zombie makes for easy, light hearted reading.
In some ways, I suppose you can say that NSDWAZ can be called Mean Girls meets Dawn of the Dead. The focus of the story, though, is more on the path to becoming a Queen Bee and the ugliness that it can bring out in a person. How far would you go to become the it-girl? Would you lie? Hurt your best friend? Take advantage of the mindless zombie state of your crush and make him be your boyfriend? In exploring the it-girl theme I thought that a number of cliché themes were also used but this didn't necessarily detract from the book. They were used, for example, to set up the tension between Margot and Amanda Culpepper, Queen Bee at Salesian High.
Being set in an American high school, the book also addresses cliques and that people should socialise outside their set social groups. I always find cliques weird to read about as part of the student experience. Maybe it's because Australian public schools mostly have uniforms, or because we don't have such large student populations in our schools, but I never experienced such defined cliques. Oh, sure, there were people who were popular or athletic or nerdy and we had a few people that were into punk in my grade, but they didn't divide themselves into social groups and shun others who didn't fit in. I remember someone once actually getting offended when she was called popular because of the stereotype it implies!
I quite liked Margot and how E. Van Lowe has channeled a teenage girl. I liked Margot's attitude towards herself and her body image, that she could admit that she was not skinny but still call herself cute and dress in flattering clothing. I thought that opening with her application cover letter to a college was a nice opening and I loved her sick letters that she forged from her parents to get out of P.E. Oh, how I too hated phys ed.
Never Slow Dance with a Zombie is a cute and quirky approach to both the zombie genre and the high school experience. I have seen some mixed reviews for this one but if you are looking for a light hearted, easy read to relax and have a little chuckle over this one is worth a try.
In some ways, I suppose you can say that NSDWAZ can be called Mean Girls meets Dawn of the Dead. The focus of the story, though, is more on the path to becoming a Queen Bee and the ugliness that it can bring out in a person. How far would you go to become the it-girl? Would you lie? Hurt your best friend? Take advantage of the mindless zombie state of your crush and make him be your boyfriend? In exploring the it-girl theme I thought that a number of cliché themes were also used but this didn't necessarily detract from the book. They were used, for example, to set up the tension between Margot and Amanda Culpepper, Queen Bee at Salesian High.
Being set in an American high school, the book also addresses cliques and that people should socialise outside their set social groups. I always find cliques weird to read about as part of the student experience. Maybe it's because Australian public schools mostly have uniforms, or because we don't have such large student populations in our schools, but I never experienced such defined cliques. Oh, sure, there were people who were popular or athletic or nerdy and we had a few people that were into punk in my grade, but they didn't divide themselves into social groups and shun others who didn't fit in. I remember someone once actually getting offended when she was called popular because of the stereotype it implies!
I quite liked Margot and how E. Van Lowe has channeled a teenage girl. I liked Margot's attitude towards herself and her body image, that she could admit that she was not skinny but still call herself cute and dress in flattering clothing. I thought that opening with her application cover letter to a college was a nice opening and I loved her sick letters that she forged from her parents to get out of P.E. Oh, how I too hated phys ed.
Never Slow Dance with a Zombie is a cute and quirky approach to both the zombie genre and the high school experience. I have seen some mixed reviews for this one but if you are looking for a light hearted, easy read to relax and have a little chuckle over this one is worth a try.
February 6, 2010
I felt a bit embarrassed to be looking at books in the Young Adult section of my local library, but I had heard that Never Slow Dance With a Zombie by E. Van Lowe was hilarious. It was pretty funny and I even laughed out loud a few times while reading - something I rarely do.
Margot Johnson is the typical teenage outcast: a chubby brunette with a skinny blonde enemy and dreams of being popular. In middle school, along with her best friend Sybil, she devised a manifesto for high school, setting goals to become the most popular girl in school and to have a boyfriend. When the student body turns into zombies - with the exception of Margot, Sybil, the principal and the gym teacher- Margot uses it to her advantage, achieving her goals. With no other girls around, she becomes the "queen bee" of the high school and lures popular zombie jock Dirk into being her boyfriend. Coexisting with zombies goes great until Margot and Sybil realize that someone is trying to turn them into zombies.
From the first page of this novel, I was transported back to high school. Being an outcast myself, I too had a crush on a popular jock, hated (some of) the snooty popular girls, but still dreamed of being popular. I'm shocked that this book was written by a man because he gets into the head of a teenage girl so well.
The main character, Margo, was well-written and I could see myself (or at least me when I was in high school) in her. But her selfishness and her tendency to whine got on my nerves. And the book was told from her point of view, making some of the characters seem flat since we are only given her one-sided opinion.
The zombies didn't make an appearance until about 1/4 into the novel. Up until that point, the book is just about Margot trying to score a date with Dirk. But once you get through that part, the novel becomes hilarious with the zombie interactions and the principal's "Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising".
Overall, this was a pretty funny read, but probably more enjoyable if you're a teenage girl.
Read more of my reviews at http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com
Margot Johnson is the typical teenage outcast: a chubby brunette with a skinny blonde enemy and dreams of being popular. In middle school, along with her best friend Sybil, she devised a manifesto for high school, setting goals to become the most popular girl in school and to have a boyfriend. When the student body turns into zombies - with the exception of Margot, Sybil, the principal and the gym teacher- Margot uses it to her advantage, achieving her goals. With no other girls around, she becomes the "queen bee" of the high school and lures popular zombie jock Dirk into being her boyfriend. Coexisting with zombies goes great until Margot and Sybil realize that someone is trying to turn them into zombies.
From the first page of this novel, I was transported back to high school. Being an outcast myself, I too had a crush on a popular jock, hated (some of) the snooty popular girls, but still dreamed of being popular. I'm shocked that this book was written by a man because he gets into the head of a teenage girl so well.
The main character, Margo, was well-written and I could see myself (or at least me when I was in high school) in her. But her selfishness and her tendency to whine got on my nerves. And the book was told from her point of view, making some of the characters seem flat since we are only given her one-sided opinion.
The zombies didn't make an appearance until about 1/4 into the novel. Up until that point, the book is just about Margot trying to score a date with Dirk. But once you get through that part, the novel becomes hilarious with the zombie interactions and the principal's "Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising".
Overall, this was a pretty funny read, but probably more enjoyable if you're a teenage girl.
Read more of my reviews at http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com
November 26, 2012
This book was alright all around. Not the out come I expected, but still very good. The beginning was slow and seemed a little dragged out. I was expecting zombies right away, but no. I (as all of the readers) had to read through a TON of teenage drama (such as a list of high school goals, guy crushes, nerds, and gossip). After you get past the "intro" (which in my opinion is way too long) the book gets better, for a short time. Zombies invade the high school, but due to muscle memory they keep going through routine. They turned almost all of the teachers and students besides (surprise surprise) the scary gym teacher and the principal. Principal says he is trying to find a cure to it, and he calmly asks the girls if they would "co-exists" along with the zombies. After debating(and ignoring her best friend) for more and more things that the main girl would control. The story progresses from fights that the two main girls have (which one involves the fact that the main girl was dating a zombie(stupid, I know)). Then (to my surprise) when the main girl has fallen trap to the zombies, the nerds in shining pocket protects (that might not be the main point of them, but still) jump in and save her. One of the two nerds love her, the other one thinks she's the zombie queen. They end up creating a cure, but oh-no, Ms. Main-Chic won't give it to her "boyfriend" in fear that he'll turn back and not be her boyfriend anymore(selfish, selfish, selfish). All in all, they find out that Alice, isn't really a zombie, she is just pretending to be one, the principal did it, the antidote works, and that everything is all good and well again. Like I said, this book is alright if you want to read through a teenage drama, but not much for a zombie horror story.
November 4, 2013
Was originally posted on Paranormal Sisters http://www.paranormalsisters.blogspot...
3.5 Bats
Never Slow Dance with a Zombie has a message behind it for our main gal, Margot, which is why I wasn't a big fan of her. She's self-absorbed and obsessed with being the most popular girl in her school.....her now undead school. I constantly cringed the deeper we got into the story and if it wasn't for the secondary characters and the zombies, I would have DNF this book.
I enjoyed the side characters so much and whenever they were in the picture, they stole the show away from our main gal, Margot, for me. Sybil, Margot's naïve best friend, was funny and always there for her. Then you have a guy (who’s name I sadly can't remember) who's been pining after our main gal for forever and he's not afraid to show it. I loved him and his best pal, Milton (I believe). Those two were a hoot with their mad chemists status haha.
Overall I can't lie, this book had me laughing out loud many times. The zombie action was great and this is a fast read, so the storyline moves fast (thankfully). Besides my eye rolling at the main girl, thanks to her obsession leading her to date a brainless zombie that constantly wants to eat her brain, I did enjoy the writing style of E. Van Lowe. This book felt real and he truly knew what goes on in some girl’s minds. He also knew how to keep the suspense going since I didn't even see the bad guy coming. I couldn't believe who was the one that turned every student into zombies or why they did it, so I was really happy with Mr. Lowe's surprise at the end!
I liked the concept, just wished we had a different main character....
November 3, 2009
Best friends Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find most of their classmates are now zombies and are quickly turning the rest of the school into zombies as well. They manage to track down their still human principal Taft and get convinced to help him cover up this little problem until he can be promoted in 7 weeks. In return, Margot gets her dreams of being the most popular girl in school, get a boyfriend and head every elite committee in school. Sybil gets her chance to try and turn the school’s cliques upside down.
I love zombie books and was very excited to read this one but I had to keep shaking my head while reading. I expected silliness, really I did but this was just over the top. The main defense they had against the zombies was hitting them on the nose with a newspaper. If that is not the epitome of silliness I do not know what is. It was pushing the point of absurdity that Margot actually thought it was great that she now had the zombie of one of the good looking jocks as her "boyfriend" despite the fact that she only kept him with a constant supply of red meat and constant whops to the nose with her newspaper. Whenever she tried to hold him he would try to take a bite out of her.
I wanted to feel for Margot since I was also not one of the popular girls in school but everything she did was just so detestable that I could not empathize with her. Her realization of her horrible actions came too late and too suddenly for me to have a change of heart.
I love zombie books and was very excited to read this one but I had to keep shaking my head while reading. I expected silliness, really I did but this was just over the top. The main defense they had against the zombies was hitting them on the nose with a newspaper. If that is not the epitome of silliness I do not know what is. It was pushing the point of absurdity that Margot actually thought it was great that she now had the zombie of one of the good looking jocks as her "boyfriend" despite the fact that she only kept him with a constant supply of red meat and constant whops to the nose with her newspaper. Whenever she tried to hold him he would try to take a bite out of her.
I wanted to feel for Margot since I was also not one of the popular girls in school but everything she did was just so detestable that I could not empathize with her. Her realization of her horrible actions came too late and too suddenly for me to have a change of heart.
September 4, 2009
On the day of her Middle School graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a manifesto listing her goals for high school. Being popular, having a boyfriend, and being invited to the best parties are some of the most important things on her list. Now, after four years, as Margot and her best friend, Sybil, start a new school year, she realizes she is running out of time to accomplish her goals – seeing as not even one has been accomplished.
Things turn around for Margot after the majority of the students at her school turn into flesh-eating zombies. Margot takes the opportunity to put herself in the leadership role for many of the important school activities like head of the Dance Committee, Head cheerleader, and Captain of the debate team. Finally, her manifesto was going to be completed. But, one thing Margo didn’t expect was the zombies to cause her so much trouble.
I’m all for silly fantasy novels. I completely enjoyed YOU ARE SO DEAD TO ME and ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH, but this book was too much. It was not only completely predictable, but also completely ridiculous. For example, in order to fight off the zombies, Principal Taft tells Margot and Sybil to keep a rolled up newspaper with them and hit the zombies on the nose if they get too close. I found myself rolling my eyes for most of the book.
I’ve looked at other reviews and see that a few others really enjoyed NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE. I guess the saying “different strokes for different folks” holds true. Let me know what you guys think. Am I just weird or did you feel the same way?
Things turn around for Margot after the majority of the students at her school turn into flesh-eating zombies. Margot takes the opportunity to put herself in the leadership role for many of the important school activities like head of the Dance Committee, Head cheerleader, and Captain of the debate team. Finally, her manifesto was going to be completed. But, one thing Margo didn’t expect was the zombies to cause her so much trouble.
I’m all for silly fantasy novels. I completely enjoyed YOU ARE SO DEAD TO ME and ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH, but this book was too much. It was not only completely predictable, but also completely ridiculous. For example, in order to fight off the zombies, Principal Taft tells Margot and Sybil to keep a rolled up newspaper with them and hit the zombies on the nose if they get too close. I found myself rolling my eyes for most of the book.
I’ve looked at other reviews and see that a few others really enjoyed NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE. I guess the saying “different strokes for different folks” holds true. Let me know what you guys think. Am I just weird or did you feel the same way?
January 18, 2011
Ever pick up a book - a fairly new book - and think 'I've read this book before. I know I have.'?
That's my feeling about this book. A feeling that started 5 pages in. Unfortunately, it made the rest of the pages extremely irritating to read. Rehashing the same formula and storyline - one I apparently did not enjoy much before. The main characters in this book seemed a lot more caustic, annoying and flatter (in personality) than before. But what was before? I thought on this while reading the book. It suddenly dawned on me that this book is a poorly written and more obnoxious version of Zombie Queen of Newbury High. Zombie Queen of Newbury High wasn't that great either so to be subjected to the inferior variation of the same writing formula did not sit well with me.
A complete waste of my time was Never Slow Dance with a Zombie. If you really want to read a book about some mindless unpopular girl - who's obsessed with the uber-popular jock - and the student population turning into zombies, I'd suggest Zombie Queen of Newbury High.
That's my feeling about this book. A feeling that started 5 pages in. Unfortunately, it made the rest of the pages extremely irritating to read. Rehashing the same formula and storyline - one I apparently did not enjoy much before. The main characters in this book seemed a lot more caustic, annoying and flatter (in personality) than before. But what was before? I thought on this while reading the book. It suddenly dawned on me that this book is a poorly written and more obnoxious version of Zombie Queen of Newbury High. Zombie Queen of Newbury High wasn't that great either so to be subjected to the inferior variation of the same writing formula did not sit well with me.
A complete waste of my time was Never Slow Dance with a Zombie. If you really want to read a book about some mindless unpopular girl - who's obsessed with the uber-popular jock - and the student population turning into zombies, I'd suggest Zombie Queen of Newbury High.
August 4, 2012
This book starts off really stupid. The main character, Margot, wishes she was popular, that she could have a cute boyfriend, and other typical teenage stuff. Margot as a character is insufferable in the beginning with her constant whining, bad mouthing, and general bad attitude even when her best friend, Sybil, tries to cheer her up.
Things got interesting when the zombie plot took hold and changed the game. Since Margot, Sybil, and two nerds didn't go to the dance one night they were spared from being turned into zombies! The zombies in this book don't really operate like regular zombies in popular fiction -- they continue to 'live' their normal lives. They go to school, travel in packs of those who were their friends while alive, and for the most part will leave you alone as long as you conform! Margot becomes an evil character as the plot moves forward, giving into her selfish desires as well as pushing her friendship aside in favor of dating the zombified popular boy of the school.
This book is actually pretty well written despite it checking off some of my pet peeves. What I really enjoyed about this book was that Margot was not rewarded for her selfish behavior (unlike some other books I could think of (COUGHCOUGHTWILIGHTCOUGHCOUGHCITYOFBONESCOUGH) and instead she LEARNS from her misdeeds and grows as a person. Margot learns a lesson about friendship and the value of individuals.
All in all, this was a great YA read. Probably the first in a long time that hasn't left me with mixed or bad feelings in the end.
Things got interesting when the zombie plot took hold and changed the game. Since Margot, Sybil, and two nerds didn't go to the dance one night they were spared from being turned into zombies! The zombies in this book don't really operate like regular zombies in popular fiction -- they continue to 'live' their normal lives. They go to school, travel in packs of those who were their friends while alive, and for the most part will leave you alone as long as you conform! Margot becomes an evil character as the plot moves forward, giving into her selfish desires as well as pushing her friendship aside in favor of dating the zombified popular boy of the school.
This book is actually pretty well written despite it checking off some of my pet peeves. What I really enjoyed about this book was that Margot was not rewarded for her selfish behavior (unlike some other books I could think of (COUGHCOUGHTWILIGHTCOUGHCOUGHCITYOFBONESCOUGH) and instead she LEARNS from her misdeeds and grows as a person. Margot learns a lesson about friendship and the value of individuals.
All in all, this was a great YA read. Probably the first in a long time that hasn't left me with mixed or bad feelings in the end.
January 3, 2010
Margot and her best friend Sybil try to accomplish the things she wrote on her manifesto list which was mainly to be in every way better than the most popular girl in school, Amanda Culpepper and by that it meant being more popular than Amanda, being invited to more parties than Amanda, having parties that did not include Amanda, having a boyfriend who is cuter than Amanda's, be homecoming queen in place of Amanda, be a cheerleader, be prom queen, and that Amanda could not be any of these things. Sybil is a great supporter and friend to Margot but Margot starts turning into Amanda and it breaks apart their friendship when they one day go to school to find that the whole school has turned into zombies except very few classmates and the principal and gym teacher. The principal manages to convince them to not let out word until the end of the semester on the students turning into zombies by giving them the authority to everything they wanted: (Sybil:) head lunchroom monitor, (Margot:) president of the homecoming commitie, chairman of the prom committee and being prom queen, yearbook committee, head cheerleader, etc.
Follow along on their journey through their struggled friendship, having being almost turned into a zombie many times, finding some who are still human, and lastly learning that they too in the end may become zombies.
Follow along on their journey through their struggled friendship, having being almost turned into a zombie many times, finding some who are still human, and lastly learning that they too in the end may become zombies.
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