Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

This topic is open for discussion of Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter. Be prepared for SPOILERS.

Synopsis:
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

Reserved

Reserved

Ooooh! Im in!!!

Trying to get the book; I want to read this one.

at first I couldn't put it down because I was so upset with being ripped off by another supposed book with good reviews that was really rated highly because of the number of other people who had been ripped off as well but they had all plunked their money down, as in another "50 shades of hot mess." The sample from Amazon pulled me in but the first few chapters didn't deliver...again. I have to admit that I'm really not much into zombies in the first place except on "The Walking Dead." And really... those hot eye contact visions? Come on!

But I was determined to finish the book since I was so tired of paying 9.99 to Amazon to read 3 chapters of a book and delete it.

And I am so glad I did... I loved it! But now I have to wait for a full year for the next book in the series. ::sigh::

I so badly want to read this one, and I have it so I am going to join in...but I am starting to see some very mixed reviews *bites nails* Please don't disappoint me book!

I just got the email from my library saying my hold came in. I'm excited :-)

Every time I see the cover, I think, Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift in Zombieland. I can't stop seeing it. I think it's the hair.

Mary wrote: "Every time I see the cover, I think, Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift in Zombieland. I can't stop seeing it. I think it's the hair."

LOL She does look like Taylor Swift

I might give it a try, even if I don't really like Gena Showalter. I don't know why, but her sense of humour drives me up the wall...

I have the ebook on hold and I am crossing my fingers it comes in so I don't have to buy it! :)

I'll get my book and start dividing up the chapters.

Reading Schedule

Date Chapters Pages PPCQs
October 22 A Note From Alice - 2 1 - 46
October 23 3 - 5 47 - 104
October 24 6 - 8 105 - 149 
October 25 9 - 10 150 - 206
October 26 11 - 12 207 - 260
October 27 13 - 14 261 - 325
October 28 15 - 17 326 - 404

Look okay?

Looks good to me. My ebook came in so I am ready to go tomorrow.

I'm still waiting for my order to be delivered to the book store :-(. I want to read this one soooo badly.

Looks good, I have the book in my hand and ready to go.

I'm going to read it next, but I'm still in the middle of The Rook, so I probably won't join the discussion :(

Questions for A note from Alice - Chapter 2

1) So I'm a little confused. Zombies are out there, but they only target members from Alice's family?

2) Did her father and her have a special ability to see them? If events happen after dark I can only imagine the general populace doesn't know about them.

3) Did you cry during the scene at the funeral? I love the way Gena can write. I think she has a wonderful style and a way of capturing emotion.

4) I'm guessing we'll see more of Kathryn, the girl from the hospital. What did you think of her?

5) It sounds like Alice and her sister were close. I think if any one of her family had been the soul survivor they'd each blame themselves for the tragic deaths of the others.

6) Did you like the Freeze Frame moment? I kind of liked that.

7) Initial thoughts? Are you hooked? Is there anything so far that stands out for you?

Questions for A note from Alice - Chapter 2

1) So I'm a little confused. Zombies are out there, but they only target members from Alice's family?

I am confused about this too actually. Why is it only her family that is so paranoid? Aren't others in danger too?

2) Did her father and her have a special ability to see them? If events happen after dark I can only imagine the general populace doesn't know about them.

I hope we find out soon. Because otherwise it makes no sense that other people wouldn't have noticed zombies running around.

3) Did you cry during the scene at the funeral? I love the way Gena can write. I think she has a wonderful style and a way of capturing emotion.

It was very evocative, but I can't say that I felt emotionally involved. Mostly I wanted to get to something more interesting, because the first 50 pages are depressing and about her family dying. It didn't really draw me in.

4) I'm guessing we'll see more of Kathryn, the girl from the hospital. What did you think of her?

Kind of strange, but I hope we see her again, she's been the most interesting part so far.

5) It sounds like Alice and her sister were close. I think if any one of her family had been the soul survivor they'd each blame themselves for the tragic deaths of the others.

I think that would be a natural emotion in any family.

6) Did you like the Freeze Frame moment? I kind of liked that.

I kind of liked the description of it, but I don't think I'd like it if it became a regular thing in the book.

7) Initial thoughts? Are you hooked? Is there anything so far that stands out for you?

I am interested but not hooked. The beginning didn't really draw me in at all, it was mostly just depressing and I kept wondering when we were getting to a good part. I am interested to see what will happen though.

Questions for A note from Alice - Chapter 2

1) So I'm a little confused. Zombies are out there, but they only target members from Alice's family?

I am confused too. I think we will learn more about Alice's dad's side of the family that will explain what is going on.

2) Did her father and her have a special ability to see them? If events happen after dark I can only imagine the general populace doesn't know about them.

I think they must have a special ability. Alice's mom didn't seem to have it, but I wonder if Emma would have had it.

3) Did you cry during the scene at the funeral? I love the way Gena can write. I think she has a wonderful style and a way of capturing emotion.

I didn't cry, but that part made me sad. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose your whole family like that. This is my first book by Gena. I might have to check out some of her other books.

4) I'm guessing we'll see more of Kathryn, the girl from the hospital. What did you think of her?

I am not sure yet what I think of her! I will have to see more of her before I decide. I am lukewarm about her right now.

5) It sounds like Alice and her sister were close. I think if any one of her family had been the soul survivor they'd each blame themselves for the tragic deaths of the others.

Yeah, the what ifs she has running through her head have to be hard. I hope she will be able to move on. Alice and Emma probably leaned on each other to handle their weird life.

6) Did you like the Freeze Frame moment? I kind of liked that.

Yes! It makes me wish I had a sister. I have five younger brothers! :)

7) Initial thoughts? Are you hooked? Is there anything so far that stands out for you?

I am really liking the book so far and I am anxious to find out what is going on.

Still waiting for my book to come in (pout!)

Cathie wrote: "Still waiting for my book to come in (pout!)"

Well, hopefully you can catch up.

Well, I'm still at 49% into The Rook and I'm hoping to catch up... eventually... I really want to read this book, although zombies are not my thing and I never read anything from Gena Showalter.

1, I don't understand it, either. Hope Gena has a good explanation.

2, I'm sure they did. And I'm also sure that they are not the only ones. I believe that there are only a few people who can see them and that their abilities are inherited under certain circumstances.
But I don't think Em would have seen them. Hence Alice saying how she was like their mother, who saw nothing.

3, Didn't even come close to it, but I loved how she broke down when she was told about Emma. And I know that it's part of how one would feel, but when she threw in a 'Screw them' and a 'Big suprise' in the middle of an emotional scene, it made me disconnect.

4, Please let Kat be lovable. I mean she's weird and all, like she goes in to someone who lost her family and acts like that? I'll see.

5, Not a question, but I agree. And she should blame herself, because it's really her fault. But at the same time I hope she will get her spirit back soon. Not for her, but for the story.

6, It was good, but random. Intresting and probably it was the best part of the chapter.

7, Alice. The way she acted with her Mom... It kinda made me hate her and the occasional comments mentioned above in 3, made me take her less seriousely. I hope I will get over it soon.
I'm not hooked but I'll stick around to see if Gena will keep it up like this 'cause I like her style up till now, but I'm already afraid from the romance.

I don't feel like Alice should blame herself. I don't know many teenagers that would put up living the way she did!!! From her perspective, her dad had mental problems and there was no good reason why they couldn't go to the recital. It would be different if she knew there were monsters, but if my dad saw monsters no one else saw, I would think he had some mental issues. I have some family dealing with mental problems and I don't let their fears affect how I live my life.

For me it's the cementry. She saw how scared her father was but she still insisted on going that way so she could get Emma home a little bit earlier. But as I said I strongly deslike Alice and I would probably react differently if I would like the heroine more.

@Stefani

3) I like books that send me on an emotional roller coaster. We'll see how the rest of it goes.

4) I hoped so to.

5) true

6) true, but if it's just that one time I thought that was a neat way to do a tiny info dump.

@everyone

1) I'm glad I wasn't the only one confused about the zombies and why Alice's dad seemed to be the only one to see them.

@Kim L.

3) She does mostly romances, but has 3 YA series. One of which is tied to one of her adult series.

6) I feel bad for you. 5 younger brothers? Wow.

@Regina

3) That was kind of harsh for a YA. I think she kind of felt they were intruding on what she felt should be a private moment and she was just mad at the world because her family died and silently lashed out.

4) I don't know. I think it was her way of distracting Ali. When you go through something so tragic, everyone treats you like you're made of eggshells and tiptoes around you less you crack. I think Kat tried to make her remember what it was to feel a little normal.

5) I kind of blame the dad because he took control of the steering wheel. If the zombies are real (which I'm guessing they are) they should have been able to blaze through zombies on the road with the car.

Questions & Comments for Chapters 3 - 5

8) Looks like we may yet again have a young adult book with a love triangle. What did you think of Cole and the moments that weren't?

9) Who do you like better Justin or Cole?

10) So it sounds like Kat was at the hospital for some reason that would be embarrassing. Any guesses why she wouldn't want anyone to know she was there?

11) What did you think of Emma coming back as a ghost? Do you think she truly was or was Alice hallucinating?

12) What did you make of the bride and groom zombies? Why didn't they come after Alice? Could there have been some protective barrier set up, perhaps by her father, around the house that would prevent ghosts and zombies within?

13) What did you make of the confrontation with Mackenzie Love? Did Ali handle it the right way?

14) What did you think of the first real conversation between Ali and Cole? Sounds like perhaps they both experience the same vision. Do you suspect Cole and his crew might see zombies as well?

15) What do you make of the bunny clouds? Are they a sign of bad luck to come?

Questions & Comments for Chapters 3 - 5

8) Looks like we may yet again have a young adult book with a love triangle. What did you think of Cole and the moments that weren't?

This whole thing is turning into such a cliche. Blonde, blue eyed gorgeous Alice who thinks she's mediocre falls for a boy who treats her like crap and then decides to pursue him more. *sigh* Sounds way too familiar!

9) Who do you like better Justin or Cole?

Justin, he doesn't come across as an ass. Cole is an ass, but I have a feeling that's who she'll choose.

10) So it sounds like Kat was at the hospital for some reason that would be embarrassing. Any guesses why she wouldn't want anyone to know she was there?

I was thinking that perhaps she had a stay in the psych ward for something. It was the first thing that popped into my head that I wouldn't want high school friends to know about.

11) What did you think of Emma coming back as a ghost? Do you think she truly was or was Alice hallucinating?

I am not sure. At this point I don't have enough information to know for sure, but I am betting hallucination since Alice seems to be doing that quite a bit.

12) What did you make of the bride and groom zombies? Why didn't they come after Alice? Could there have been some protective barrier set up, perhaps by her father, around the house that would prevent ghosts and zombies within?

That was strange, but interesting. It was the first sign of impending plot doom and I liked it.

13) What did you make of the confrontation with Mackenzie Love? Did Ali handle it the right way?

The only way to handle bullies is to say, "Nope, I'm not intimidated by your crap." So I think it was the right way.

14) What did you think of the first real conversation between Ali and Cole? Sounds like perhaps they both experience the same vision. Do you suspect Cole and his crew might see zombies as well?

I don't like him. It was too much of a YA cliche. He treated her like crap, she thought "oh that must mean he likes me!" and obsesses over him the rest of the day.

15) What do you make of the bunny clouds? Are they a sign of bad luck to come?

It's interesting. It could just be a coincidence. Or that she's seeing something in the clouds that isn't there because she's scared. But we'll have to see if something bad happens, then I'll look at it as a portent of doom.

Questions for A note from Alice - Chapter 2

1) So I'm a little confused. Zombies are out there, but they only target members from Alice's family?
I think it was just more enhanced with her family because her dad could actually see them. Maybe the attacks are all deemed accidents similar to the one Alice was in. I dunno.

2) Did her father and her have a special ability to see them? If events happen after dark I can only imagine the general populace doesn't know about them.
Maybe a traumatic event can trigger your ability to see them? Something happened the night of the crash to make Ali able to see the monsters all of a sudden. Maybe the head trauma triggered it.

3) Did you cry during the scene at the funeral? I love the way Gena can write. I think she has a wonderful style and a way of capturing emotion.
No, but I did love all of the similarities to the Alice in Wonderland situation. Lost parents, falling down an abyss, going insane...the same storyline has been used in countless Alice stories. Love it.

4) I'm guessing we'll see more of Kathryn, the girl from the hospital. What did you think of her?
She's definitely interesting. Seems like your typical high maintenance popular girl in high school. Or maybe that's all an act and she's actually an outcast as well? Maybe I would like her better that way.

5) It sounds like Alice and her sister were close. I think if any one of her family had been the soul survivor they'd each blame themselves for the tragic deaths of the others.
I can understand why Alice feels guilty. She convinced them to leave the house and therefore put them in danger. Then again, she didn't believe monsters were real and figured her dad was just a paranoid freak. I'm surprised they didn't leave him at home while they went to the recital. All things could have ended differently then.

6) Did you like the Freeze Frame moment? I kind of liked that.
It was clever. I wonder if she'll use it more throughout the book

7) Initial thoughts? Are you hooked? Is there anything so far that stands out for you?
I like it so far. I'm interested to see how far the author takes the Alice metaphor. So far it has a very Alice McGee feel to it that I love (girl goes insane after family burns in a fire, goes to a twisted wonderland that no one else believes is real, wonderland is full of monsters and an evil queen).

The copy I ordered at the beginning of the month is expected to be delivered to the book store by Friday :-( This has been a really hard book to get a hold of here in Canada. I'm so looking forward to reading it...waiting...not so patiently!

Questions and Comments for Chapters 6 - 8

16) Have you noticed the titles on some of these chapters? 'Advice from a dying caterpillar', 'Out of the chrysalis and into the abyss' and 'The beginning of the dead end'. So is Alice supposed to be a butterfly and coming into her mad zombie killing skills?

17) What did you think of the journal? "The battle has begun." I thought Alice's mom couldn't see the zombies.

18) Why do you suppose Justin was so defensive when she said she was surprised he didn't go by the nickname Ace or Killer?

19)Would you have gone with Cole in his car to talk?

20) Cole's attitude toward Alice is a bit confusing, but now we know for certain he is experiencing the moments that didn't happen to. Additionally, it sounds like he definitely can see zombies. I just wish we had some more answers about why some do and don't see the zombies.

21) The stalking in Alice's backyard was a little weird.

22) What do you think of Kat and Frosty's relationship? I kind of wish Gena hadn't picked the name Frosty. That is a name I find distracting.

23) What did you think of Kat's plan to go to the club? Bad idea or a good one?

24) I don't know about you, but agreeing to talk to Cole at the party and going there with Justin seems like a great big no no. Is it a recipe for disaster?

Questions and Comments for Chapters 6 - 8

16) Have you noticed the titles on some of these chapters? 'Advice from a dying caterpillar', 'Out of the chrysalis and into the abyss' and 'The beginning of the dead end'. So is Alice supposed to be a butterfly and coming into her mad zombie killing skills?

I sincerely hope so. I'd like to get to the zombie part now and leave all this YA love triangle nonsense behind.

17) What did you think of the journal? "The battle has begun." I thought Alice's mom couldn't see the zombies.

I don't know if it's hers. Alice said it wasn't her mom's writing. So maybe her dad? Or a friend of her mom's who could also see them?

18) Why do you suppose Justin was so defensive when she said she was surprised he didn't go by the nickname Ace or Killer?

Probably just jealous over Cole the wonder boy lol.

19)Would you have gone with Cole in his car to talk?

Nope. I would have said, "no you controlling ass, I will not get into a car where you might be planning on raping and killing me. I don't know you. And stay out of my yard or I'll get a restraining order." Being a controlling stalker is not sexy!

20) Cole's attitude toward Alice is a bit confusing, but now we know for certain he is experiencing the moments that didn't happen to. Additionally, it sounds like he definitely can see zombies. I just wish we had some more answers about why some do and don't see the zombies.

I would love more answers, and I hope there's no more "you tell me" "no you tell me" exchanges too lol.

21) The stalking in Alice's backyard was a little weird.

Stalker. Should have gotten a knee to the groin and a restraining order. But no, Alice thinks its sexy and attractive. Sigh.

22) What do you think of Kat and Frosty's relationship? I kind of wish Gena hadn't picked the name Frosty. That is a name I find distracting.

Me too. Have you started singing Frosty the Snowman yet? I have! Anyway, the relationship. Seems dysfunctional. So since this is YA, they'll probably get married soon.

23) What did you think of Kat's plan to go to the club? Bad idea or a good one?

I don't see how it could hurt. Except for Alice to go fawn over her stalker like a drooling fangirl.

24) I don't know about you, but agreeing to talk to Cole at the party and going there with Justin seems like a great big no no. Is it a recipe for disaster?

It's a very bad idea, but they gotta get the love triangle in there so it didn't surprise me. I am really praying we get some zombie killing soon. This cliche YA romance is driving me nuts.

@Stefani

One of the things I love about doing buddy reads with you is we tend to vary on our opinions. We aren't always in agreement, but I like hearing your thoughts. This is one of those books.

8) When it comes to high school aged books, I kind of feel that is main issue for many teens. They're going through puberty and a lot of them don't recognize they're good looking. It's a time period of confusion and awkwardness. For all we know Alice had heavy glasses and braces until a little while ago. So while you say cliche, I say it's just one of those things that might connect teenage readers to the story. I feel it's totally appropriate for the audience being targeted.

9) I liked Justin better at this point too, but I didn't dislike Cole as much as you. I was trying to figure out his odd behavior.

10) I wasn't sure. Still wondering. Hopefully we'll find out.

11) Wouldn't that be something if all the zombie story ended up be a hallucination induced by a head injury. I hope that's not the case.

13) I thought she handled it okay, but thought it a little harsh, but Mackenzie didn't sound like an extremely nice person.

14) Well, I didn't think he treated her that badly, but I thought it interesting.

15) I'm curious if there is some significance or just her mind conjuring it up.

Lisarenee wrote: "@Stefani

One of the things I love about doing buddy reads with you is we tend to vary on our opinions. We aren't always in agreement, but I like hearing your thoughts. This is one of those books.
..."

Lol, we do tend to see from opposite sides of the book as it were. It's very refreshing to see others' opinions. Sometimes it makes me like a book better too.

Questions & Comments for Chapters 3 - 5

8) Looks like we may yet again have a young adult book with a love triangle. What did you think of Cole and the moments that weren't?
I'm not a fan of these little moments, but then again, I never like the romance part of these books. I wonder if Cole was having the same visions since he asked what Ali was doing to him.

9) Who do you like better Justin or Cole?
Cole seems more interesting. Justin has had too little told about him to really think anything about him

10) So it sounds like Kat was at the hospital for some reason that would be embarrassing. Any guesses why she wouldn't want anyone to know she was there?
I think Kat was being treated at the hospitol, not a visitor like she said. Or maybe her mom that she was there with is a patient

11) What did you think of Emma coming back as a ghost? Do you think she truly was or was Alice hallucinating?
I think she's there as some kind of warning. Maybe she couldn't cross over due to being eaten by the monsters (assuming they got her as well and not just the parents). Or maybe she's able to warn because she was saved from them? Even if she is a hallucianation, she saved Ali, so it's a good thing she was there.

12) What did you make of the bride and groom zombies? Why didn't they come after Alice? Could there have been some protective barrier set up, perhaps by her father, around the house that would prevent ghosts and zombies within?
My guess is that her father put protection in this house since it was family. He would have wanted them protected, although it's probably not as strongly protected as his own house.

13) What did you make of the confrontation with Mackenzie Love? Did Ali handle it the right way?
I don't know if it was the right way, but she definitely handled herself well.

14) What did you think of the first real conversation between Ali and Cole? Sounds like perhaps they both experience the same vision. Do you suspect Cole and his crew might see zombies as well?
I think they may fight the zombies. That's why they're scratched up and bruised. I think a lot more people know about the zombies in this town, they just handle it better then Ali's dad had in terms of keeping their visions a secret.

15) What do you make of the bunny clouds? Are they a sign of bad luck to come?
They could be a warning. Or they could be trying to tell Ali something else. I mean, every Alice story is not complete without a white rabbit to follow.

Questions and Comments for Chapters 9 - 10

25)Okay, I totally loved this banter because it made me smile:
"You dance?"
"Why wouldn't I dance?"
"Because you think it's dumb?"
"Something that allows a guy to put his hand all over a girls isn't dumb. It's genius."

26) What do you think about this magnetism between Cole and Ali? It seems a little dangerous if they kind of lose track of where they are and others around them.

27) Cole seems a little over possessive. "I'll promise not to kill him, how's that?" Sexy or creepy? They weren't even officially going out.

28) Our second look at the zombies. What did you make of the whole spirit fighting? It almost seemed like the zombies thought Ali tasted bad. That seemed interesting.

29) Anyone else think it unwise for Ali to tell Kat she was spending the night with Cole?

30) What did you think of the explanations Ali got about the zombies?

Questions and Comments for Chapters 9 - 10

25)Okay, I totally loved this banter because it made me smile:
"You dance?"
"Why wouldn't I dance?"
"Because you think it's dumb?"
"Something that allows a guy to put his hand all over a girls isn't dumb. It's genius."

That was pretty funny. Still not a fan of Cole but when he stops that controlling crap he's kinda amusing.

26) What do you think about this magnetism between Cole and Ali? It seems a little dangerous if they kind of lose track of where they are and others around them.

I thought Ali was a bit histrionic about that. She basically said they were almost having sex in public...grabbing the bottom of each other's shirt is no where close to sex lol. Is she sure her mom had the sex talk with her?

27) Cole seems a little over possessive. "I'll promise not to kill him, how's that?" Sexy or creepy? They weren't even officially going out.

Creepy, stalkery, and controlling. So he's a typical YA love interest, but I'm not a fan.

28) Our second look at the zombies. What did you make of the whole spirit fighting? It almost seemed like the zombies thought Ali tasted bad. That seemed interesting.

I hope that goes somewhere, because apart from that the whole scene was strange.

29) Anyone else think it unwise for Ali to tell Kat she was spending the night with Cole?

I don't see what the harm could be. Kat will just think they had sex, which isn't too far a stretch at this point. Was did irritate me was the fabulous little bit of slut shaming with Ali saying she "put a big tramp stamp on her forehead." Grrr.

30) What did you think of the explanations Ali got about the zombies?

I dunno really. I mean, I don't necessarily have anything wrong with re-imagining monsters, but do you really NEED to reimagine zombies? I kept thinking, ok they are spirits so they're ghosts? Ok they don't like holy water, so demons? No, ok they avoid sunlight, so vampires? One thing I know for sure, they ain't zombies lol.

Questions and Comments for Chapters 6 - 8

16) Have you noticed the titles on some of these chapters? 'Advice from a dying caterpillar', 'Out of the chrysalis and into the abyss' and 'The beginning of the dead end'. So is Alice supposed to be a butterfly and coming into her mad zombie killing skills?
When I saw caterpillar I thought of the wise caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland. Maybe I'm taking the title too seriously with all the similarities I see :-P.

17) What did you think of the journal? "The battle has begun." I thought Alice's mom couldn't see the zombies.
Maybe she could but it didn't get to her as much? Or maybe she had seen something to believe they were there (she did mention that there was a reason she believed the guy earlier in the book). She knew a battle was beginning even though she couldn't see it taking place.

18) Why do you suppose Justin was so defensive when she said she was surprised he didn't go by the nickname Ace or Killer?
I don't think he understood why he would be either of those particular nicknames. Maybe they just took him by surprise?

19)Would you have gone with Cole in his car to talk?
I would want to know what was up, so probably. I mean everything about Ali's encounters with him have been strange. Curiosity wins.

20) Cole's attitude toward Alice is a bit confusing, but now we know for certain he is experiencing the moments that didn't happen to. Additionally, it sounds like he definitely can see zombies. I just wish we had some more answers about why some do and don't see the zombies.
Maybe it's a hereditary thing? Cole's dad had been friends with Ali's dad, which makes me believe that they both knew about the zombies. Maybe that's why Cole and Ali can see it? Or maybe it's the whole traumatic event thing? I dunno.

21) The stalking in Alice's backyard was a little weird.
Only weird if you don't add in the fact that they see zombies in that area and Cole thought Ali might be in trouble since she wasn't found walking home.

22) What do you think of Kat and Frosty's relationship? I kind of wish Gena hadn't picked the name Frosty. That is a name I find distracting.
I haven't thought much about their relationship other then it's convenient that Kat seems to be a way of getting Alice near Cole's group.

23) What did you think of Kat's plan to go to the club? Bad idea or a good one?
I have a feeling something bad is going to happen. Although it does seem that the zombies only come out once every two weeks so maybe they're all safe. If they do stick to such a strict pattern, I wonder why Alice's dad never let them go out on nights the zombies weren't around? Maybe they just show up in a different area? Hmm...

24) I don't know about you, but agreeing to talk to Cole at the party and going there with Justin seems like a great big no no. Is it a recipe for disaster?
To me, Justin feels like an afterthought in this book, kind of a "I forgot to add a love triangle, here's Justin!" feel. I hope that he has a greater purpose in this story besides simply being another unobtainable guy that likes Alice.

Questions and Comments for Chapters 11 - 12

31) I truly love Alice's grandparents. I had to laugh at the questions. Granted, they were good ones, but I'd be utterly mortified if my parents or grandparents did that to my first date. Did you have a favorite response or question?

32) Stefani brought up a good point about the zombie redefinition that Gena did here--When you redefine an established paranormal/supernatural creature/being, is there such a thing straying too far away from the original version? Did Ms. Showalter do that with her zombies? Do you feel they're more like flesh eating ghosts than zombies or are you liking the freshness of them(I can't believe I used the word freshness in relation to zombies. lol)?

33) So we get a fairly good look at how this story is a bit like Alice in Wonderland. Do you like how Gena did this?

34) So we finally find out about the guys in the hazmat suits and Justin is working for them. What did you think about the research? Would you believe what Cole is saying about what Justin and his group do or would you do some investigating on your own?

35) If you could see the zombies could you just ignore them and pretend they didn't exist?

36) So it seems that Ali has some unusual powers among zombie hunters. Did you like that? This time it didn't look like they disliked her taste, was that just a fluke last time?

Questions and Comments for Chapters 11 - 12

31) I truly love Alice's grandparents. I had to laugh at the questions. Granted, they were good ones, but I'd be utterly mortified if my parents or grandparents did that to my first date. Did you have a favorite response or question?

That was a really funny part, I liked it a lot. My favorite one probably had to be "What does no mean?"

32) Stefani brought up a good point about the zombie redefinition that Gena did here--When you redefine an established paranormal/supernatural creature/being, is there such a thing straying too far away from the original version? Did Ms. Showalter do that with her zombies? Do you feel they're more like flesh eating ghosts than zombies or are you liking the freshness of them(I can't believe I used the word freshness in relation to zombies. lol)?

I think that there are two things you MUST have when you are completely rewriting a very well known monster is that you must have a good enough supporting story to support such a new concept. You also have to explain a LOT, what the rules are for these new monsters. I feel that this supporting story is very shallow and mundane, anyone who has read YA before has seen it done a bunch of times. And the zombies almost seem like an afterthought to the romance, so not much is getting explained. So to me, these zombies are a fail so far.

33) So we get a fairly good look at how this story is a bit like Alice in Wonderland. Do you like how Gena did this?

It's pretty creative, though the rabbit cloud is still kind of puzzling me. But I am liking the similarities so far.

34) So we finally find out about the guys in the hazmat suits and Justin is working for them. What did you think about the research? Would you believe what Cole is saying about what Justin and his group do or would you do some investigating on your own?

So far all we have is Cole's word for it. He's so bipolar about EVERYTHING and goes between ignoring and controlling, explaining and refusing to answer..I don't think I'd just take trust him because he said so.

35) If you could see the zombies could you just ignore them and pretend they didn't exist?

I don't think I could. Especially knowing that they were showing up around me because they thought I was a tasty treat.

36) So it seems that Ali has some unusual powers among zombie hunters. Did you like that? This time it didn't look like they disliked her taste, was that just a fluke last time?

I can't say that it surprised me, it's another thing that is very typical of YA. The totally perfect and gorgeous heroine who believes she is utterly mediocre suddenly is the most special, most different, super duper slayer ever! I saw it coming because so much else follows the typical YA pattern, so I have no feelings about it right now.

As for the dislike of her taste I keep wondering, what was different about her this time? There has to be a reason that it was pointed out that they didn't like how she tasted...there has to or it was just a pointless bit of inaccurate information. So that begs the question, what was it that was different?

I'm not feeling that good tonight, so I'll post questions tomorrow. Also, been fighting my computer and it keeps popping me out of sessions so I may have to use my new lap top. I just need to charge it. I think the virus I've been trying to get rid of for past month or so from my regular computer hasn't been conquered yet. So tomorrow I should be good to go with the questions. If anyone else would like to do the questions for tonight please feel free to do so.

Questions and Comments for Chapters 13 - 14

37) Originally I thought the journal belonged to Ali's mom, now I think it was somebody else's. Any ideas? I'm guessing it's not her father's either.

38) "That's how I know what needs to be done. I need to die." Die? That does not sound good. Who is this journal writer?

39) Well now we know about the bunny. What did you think of it?

40) So what do you think of the zombies wanting Alice? Why would they want her specifically or was Emma just saying that as a general statement about everyone living?

41) What did you think of Cole's answers to Alice's grandparent's questions?

42) So Wren is interested in Justin. If the two start dating would that be because Justin wants to use her as a means of spying on Cole's slayers?

43) Any ideas who spread the rumors about Ali? Do you still thing it's Mackenzie or do you think maybe someone else truly spread the rumors? Any suspicions?

44) Sounds like Justin's "team" might prove as dangerous as the zombies. They seem very hostile toward Ali and Cole's group. What do you think?

Sorry to hear about the troubles Lisarenee! I would offer to do the questions for the last section, but I have a feeling they'd all be negative since I haven't liked it much at all lol.

Questions and Comments for Chapters 13 - 14

37) Originally I thought the journal belonged to Ali's mom, now I think it was somebody else's. Any ideas? I'm guessing it's not her father's either.

I remember Cole saying something about a Slayer who could do things no one else could. I think he said something about that anyway. I'm betting it's theirs.

38) "That's how I know what needs to be done. I need to die." Die? That does not sound good. Who is this journal writer?

I had hoped to find out...but I'm not confident we will find out.

39) Well now we know about the bunny. What did you think of it?

I suspected it was a warning of some kind, but a warning about the zombies I didn't quite expect. Maybe if Ali had stopped fawning over Cole for 2 seconds, she might have thought of it and then informed me lol.

40) So what do you think of the zombies wanting Alice? Why would they want her specifically or was Emma just saying that as a general statement about everyone living?

I think they've established pretty well that something about Ali is different, so I would say it's her specifically.

41) What did you think of Cole's answers to Alice's grandparent's questions?

Very rehearsed. I think he's had that conversation with the guardians of many girls before Ali.

42) So Wren is interested in Justin. If the two start dating would that be because Justin wants to use her as a means of spying on Cole's slayers?

I doubt it. These girls seem to be very spiteful and willing to cast people out who annoy them. I suspect they'll be casting out Ali soon, and that's their only link to spying on Cole.

43) Any ideas who spread the rumors about Ali? Do you still thing it's Mackenzie or do you think maybe someone else truly spread the rumors? Any suspicions?

Obviously its someone with an axe to grind. Maybe Justin, but then the rumors started before the fight with Cole so that seems unlikely. I admit to having no clue, and Ali doesn't seem very motivated to find out so I guess it's not that important to the plot.

44) Sounds like Justin's "team" might prove as dangerous as the zombies. They seem very hostile toward Ali and Cole's group. What do you think?

I hope this doesn't turn out that they ignore the whole Justin thing until the very end and then they turn out to be the big bad guy. That would seem very shoved in and forced to create a story out of nowhere.

Questions and Comments for Chapters 9 - 10

25)Okay, I totally loved this banter because it made me smile:
"You dance?"
"Why wouldn't I dance?"
"Because you think it's dumb?"
"Something that allows a guy to put his hand all over a girls isn't dumb. It's genius."
that was a good line
26) What do you think about this magnetism between Cole and Ali? It seems a little dangerous if they kind of lose track of where they are and others around them.
I wish there was more focus on the fighting and less on the kissing. Maybe the two of them have one of these other slayer powers that the journal speaks of. Or maybe they're the ultimate slayers or something like that. The ones that can end it all.

27) Cole seems a little over possessive. "I'll promise not to kill him, how's that?" Sexy or creepy? They weren't even officially going out.
I just took it as him trying to be funny. It's neither sexy or creepy to me.

28) Our second look at the zombies. What did you make of the whole spirit fighting? It almost seemed like the zombies thought Ali tasted bad. That seemed interesting.
I don't know how I feel about this portrayal of zombies. Spirit world fighting? Seems like they tried to combine a couple of different creatures. I really wish they called them something else besides zombies because they aren't your traditional zombie. They're more like ghosts with zombie attributes.

29) Anyone else think it unwise for Ali to tell Kat she was spending the night with Cole?
Nope. Kat probably would believe that more than anything.

30) What did you think of the explanations Ali got about the zombies?
Most of it seemed to make sense I guess. I was right about the traumatic event thing. I wish Kat would mention the bunny cloud to someone. I want to know what it signifies. I'm guessing the one she saw in the car with Frosty means something bad is going to happen that night at the party. I feel like most of the story is leading up to this party so something big is going to go down.

Stefani #42 - "I dunno really. I mean, I don't necessarily have anything wrong with re-imagining monsters, but do you really NEED to reimagine zombies? I kept thinking, ok they are spirits so they're ghosts? Ok they don't like holy water, so demons? No, ok they avoid sunlight, so vampires? One thing I know for sure, they ain't zombies lol."

I whole heartedly agree! They are anything but zombies! Doesn't help that I'm also watching the Walking Dead while reading this. Now those are zombies. I also don't like the term slayer being used because that's a term that's always saved for vampire slayers.