The entire time I was reading this book all I could think was one thing. And I know some people with disagree with me, but this is honestly 100% how I feel about this book in one sentence: This book is American History X with zombies.

This book has all the blood and guts and violence of your traditional zombie novel. There's multiple deaths (and re-deaths), there's some scare the pants off you twists and of course, there are some incredibly gruesome images put forth. For those who like The Walking Dead and similar stories, this will be right up your alley. As much as I love all the new spins authors are putting on zombie tales, it was nice to see something straightforward and horrifying again.

But what makes Zom-B really stand out is the way it approaches racism. Our protagonist (or antagonist depending how you look at it), B, is a racist. At times you are really not going to like B and there are some cringe worthy scenes. I can't lie, there were some moments that made me down right uncomfortable. But much like American History X, Darren Shan makes sure you know, that nothing in B's situation is plain and simple. There's the issue of the father and the environment he has created for his family. I was incredibly impressed with the amount of questions Darren Shan raised about nature vs. nurture and the power of change/choice.

Ever since I finished this book I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Zom-B was definitely not what I expected but it has given me a lot to think about. I think it stands pretty strongly by itself, but it will be continuing as a series in 2013 and I am interested to find out what themes Darren Shan will touch upon next.

Recommendation: A gory and horrifying zombie story, that ends up being much deeper than you would have anticipated. Be prepared for a difficult read - but know that it is worth it.