Darren Shan released Zom B Baby, the fifth one in his Zom B series, in September of 2013.

After Dr Oystein’s revelation, B has trouble coming to terms with it and ends up leaving the Angels and striking out into the ruined city of London alone. Struggling to fit in with the other zombies she soon encounters an old friend… and an old nightmare. And, as ever, chaos quickly ensues.

I felt, just like with the last instalment, there was little action in this one. I do understand that this is a 12 book series so Shan has to stretch the storyline over the course of 12 books, but perhaps he could have spiced things up with a little more zombie action, gore or some other strange event.

However, he did introduce some bizarre and twisted moments that make you go ‘Waaaaa’… or other similar strange noises. Also he sets the scene beautifully. I actually love when B is out in the remains of the city of London, because Shan has a real knack for capturing an apocalyptic feel just through describing the environment, yet simultaneously capturing the beauty of such a world.

What do you mean I’m not making sense? I’m making perfect sense, you’re just not keeping up!

I do love Shan’s creativity and unique ability to create bizarre or different ideas and moments in the story also. Some particular examples of this, for me, are when B and Rage are having a race to climb up the London Eye; the skateboarding zombies and the idea that the dead retain some of who they once were; the strange demon baby, straight out of B’s old nightmares… back when she could sleep and dream of course; the zombies getting into the warehouse… poor Timothy the painter (will say no more on the matter); and finally the parade of zombies carrying the demon baby in its cot out of the warehouse. Like I said: bizarre and different!1439268bj

And my favourite quotes from the novel are:

‘The Good Samaritan had nothing on me.’
‘We’ve all had to grow up since we died.’
‘If you were sent by God to paint the city as you find it, that nasty bugger was sent by the Devil to paint it black.’
‘There have been so many different religions over the years, so many truths. How can one be right and all the others wrong?’

Overall, though the book lacked action, it did throw up some interest by raising a few questions. Hopefully Shan can continue to surprise us with his bizarre take on the zombie apocalypse in the next instalment in the series and also answer some of these pesky questions he has brought to the fore in this one! Plus a little more gore and action please?

An 8.0 out of 10.