"Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies #1)" by Isaac Marion

I had no intention of ever reading this book, so I watched the film first. Then I purchased my Kindle, and this was one of the first Daily Deals I bought it on impulse, because I liked the film. It sat untouched until I was brave enough to pick it up- would I even like it? I have a history of not liking popular YA.

To my surprise, I really liked it- even though I knew all the plot twists and how it would likely end beforehand. It was better than the movie- and I thought the movie was pretty darn good. In my vague memory of the movie, I think it compares very well with the plot of the book- of course, if I watched it again I would probably find quite a few flaws with it.

The Plot:
R is a zombie. He eats people's brains, and through that, he relives the person's memories. He meets Julie on a raid in the city, but instead of eating her (and her brains) he chooses to shelter her from the other zombies. Will this unlikely bond last- and will Julie be able to make it back to the city?

I think the main reason I like this story is it's so different- to be able to see the world simplified through a zombie's eyes and have him crushing on (instead of crushing) a human girl is unusual. Because of the viewpoint- R doesn't have any memories and his thoughts are rather simple- there isn't any fantastic prose, but there is certainly a lot of candid truths R's world that might be true of our own world.

Whenever I review YA, I think of what my teenage self would think of this book, and in this case I probably would've loved it- I've never been particularly attracted to zombie fiction, but this one breaks the mold. However, having more experience with a wide range of books, I really like this book, but don't absolutely worship it. It should be noted that watching the movie prior to reading this may have spoiled some of the special experiences for me.

Warm Bodies is a study in what really makes us human and what truly makes us monsters. Like The Mad Scientist's Daughter, it's also a story of forbidden love, but it doesn't take the spotlight as much as the end-of-the-world adventures of humans and zombies. If you aren't one for normal zombie fare and prefer a different twist to what people assume are monsters, Warm Bodies might be your cup of coffee.

Rating: 4 Stars for an excellent zombie adventure!

Content: Ages 14+ for violence and occasional brain eating. I like my YA with a side of brains...

Page Count: 240 pages