B is a troubled high school student- disrespectful, shoplifts, gets into fights and basically writes off school. But all that is the least of B’s problems. B has a horribly racist and abusive father, who physically abuses both B and his own wife. While B does not share the father’s racist views, it is easier to fake them than deal with the father’s fist. But when does faking stop and become a true characteristic of a person? Reports of zombie attacks elsewhere have been aired on television and most believed them to be a hoax, but when the school is attacked, B and a group of students have to fight their way to safety.

Zom-B is a young adult book, but don’t think that means Shan pulls any punches. You would expect a book about zombies to be violent, bloody and gory, and Shan absolutely delivers. Nothing is sacred, not even babies, so be warned.

The father is truly horrible. Both B and the mother are always on guard for fear of waking the father’s wrath and subsequent fist; there is a scene when the father beats the mother. In addition, the father is a racist. This racism is a major theme of the book and turns out to have some really horrifying consequences.

With all that said, while it is not the best zombie book I have ever read, it is actually a very good book. The zombie attack doesn’t start until about the last quarter of the book, but the buildup is interesting. And prepare yourself for a couple of complete surprises and a really good cliff hanger. In fact, one of the surprises was so good that I went back and scanned parts of the book to make sure I had read and understood it correctly, and then to try and figure out if there had been clues that I had missed. I honestly thought I was confused and read incorrectly.

There are a few details that promise to make this a very different and interesting 12 book series. I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the zombie sub-genre.

4/5 stars