Review ~ My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

"If you crave it, eat it. Trust your instincts."

Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

Title: My Life as a White Trash Zombie
Author: Diana Rowland
Series: White Trash Zombie #1
Length: Mass Market Paperback,  310 pages
Publisher:  DAW
Original Publication Date:  July 5th 2011
ISBN 13: 9780756406752
Goodreads || Amazon || Book Depository

I am not a big zombie fiction fan. In fact this was my first book about zombies. I'm not going to lie, the cover got me first. The covers for this series are just fucking mind blowing. Dan dos Santos is a brilliant artist, and I think even if they’re not represent Angel 100%, they totally fit for the books' tone.

Everything you have to know about the basic story is in the blurb. This is not a zombie horror. It's just like the usual good Urban Fantasy with vampires, only this time instead of the bloodsuckers, we get to meet the brain eaters. And even though it’s not horror, it's definitely not for the weakest stomach. There are gross crime scenes, autopsies and, of course many many brain chewing. Yummy! Eve though I said it's like the UF with vampires, it's something fresh - that is if the characters keep eating brains, anyway. It was interesting and kind of morbidly funny sometimes to see how these zombies function. It was nothing like Resident Evil or anything like that. These zombies blended in the way vampires do and try to live - sort of - a relatively normal life, at least, most of them. The story starts with a mystery which gets even bigger and more complicated as the story goes on, ending with a huge twist at the end of the book. I totally did not see that coming. For the most part it's a bit slow, not much happening other than we watch Angel cooping with her new "life". But she's a great character enough to keep me interested in her story. And the mysteries were nagging at me too.

Angel's greatness comes from many things. First, there's her humor. She's not hysterically funny that makes you laugh at every page, but she has a good amount of sarcastic humor. Although she’s a bit slow putting the jigsaw pieces together sometimes, she’s undeniably clever too. Besides these, she’s an admirable strong character. Not necessarily kick-ass, although she does gets the hang of being a zombie – discovers the perks: superpower, super speed and super strength, all handy stuff – and saves the day. But her emotional strength and her willpower makes her a character anyone could relate to. She got a second chance and she’s not about to blow it. She grows as the story goes on and shows everyone, especially herself that she is not a loser and won’t let anyone tell differently or drag her down again.

There are plenty of side characters. Some more important,than the others. I probably wanted to punch half of them in the face most of the time (kmh… Nick), but there are really likable ones too, such as Angel’s boss, Marcus the good cop, or Derrel. And then there are some I can’t decide I hate them or love them…right Kang? He’s a funny SOB. Also not everyone is what/who you’d think.

As for the romance... it's a really really little subplot. I think it's going to get a bit bigger in the next book, but so far Angel's story is really an Urban Fantasy and not a paranormal romance.

It’s not necessary, but I love books with an important message. ‘My life as a white trash zombie’ sends probably one of the most important one. No one born to be a loser or a trash. It's all about our own choices. Don’t let anyone else defy who you are and what you're capable of. Don’t let yourself to be dragged down, anyone who tries to is not on your side. All you have to do is think through and will it. Want it, believe it, do it and shit like that. You know like Yoda said..:

 “I can’t believe it.”

“That is why you fail.”

Favorite scene(s): Angel’s first day at her new job (deadly hysterical!) and the endgame.
Favorite character(s): Angel, Kang, Derrel, Marcus & Angel’s boss.
Favorite quote(s):

“Yeah, it’s funny like ‘Ha ha we’re such white trash’ because we’ve always figured that everyone is gonna look down on us anyway, so why not embrace it, right?” I shook my head firmly. “Well fuck ‘em all. We’re only trash if we keep acting like it. Fuck those bastards.”

 On the upside, I was getting better at peeling the scalp back and was able to do it without taking half the damn day. And the bone saw didn’t feel like it was going to shake my arm off. Look at me, actually getting the hang of this silly job.

 “It reminds me of an old joke: What did the Zombie say to the whore?"
I looked at him blankly. "Um....what?"
He winked. "Keep the tip.”

“Still, waking up this early was just wrong. “Why can’t people be reasonable and only die after eleven A.M.?” I whined.”

Zombie Super Powers, Activate!