This winner of a 2011 Alex Award (given to 10 outstanding books written for adults that have special appeal for young adults, ages 12 - 18) ranks high on our list of favorite zombie novels. With a heroine that could give Katniss Everdeen a run for her money in the self-loathing department, The Reapers Are the Angels, is anything but just another walking dead wanna-be. In fact, the zombies or "meatskins"as they are called in the book, are not the highlight of the story. Keep in mind, this is an adult novel with mature themes so not all of our readers may be ready for this one.
Its been 25 years since the apocalyptic event that left behind a world populated by zombies. 15 year-old Temple has never known a life without the "meatskins." Haunted by mistakes in her past and pursued by a man vowing revenge, she maintains her one rule: kill or be killed. But as her story progresses, you realize that it is not the dead or the living that Temple really fears- it is herself and what she believes she has become.
Ultimately, Alden Bell (a.k.a. Joshua Gaylord) has crafted a story that looks at relationships between people set in what appears to be a world without hope.We expect to see more of this post-apocalyptic theme in the next few months and hope that they will be as well written and engaging as this one. Until then, we can suggest a few other titles: The Road- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Red Road- Moira Young, The Forest of Hands and Teeth- Carrie Ryan, Life As We Knew It- Susan Beth Pfeffer.
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