Dead City

Let me state right up front that I don't get undead fiction. Neither zombie books, nor zombie movies, for the most part, have much appeal for me. With the exception of the book "World War Z" and the movies "Sean of the Dead" and "Zombieland," the whole genre leaves me cold (sorry for that). That said, I found James Ponti's "Dead City" a terrific read. Many people might say, "this is a great Zombie book," or "it is impressive for young adult fiction." I say it is a captivating read for any genre or age group. Ponti has a unique voice and an interesting turn of the mind. Just when you thought zombie fiction had reached its limit, "Dead City" shows we can still be surprised by cadaverous characters. My main complaint with zombie fiction is that zombies almost always have no ability to develop; no way for the reader to identify with them. I mean, they are animated corpses. What's to like? They might as well be a force of nature, like an avalanche or a plague (the common metaphor) for all of their character potential. Not Ponti's zombies. They come in three levels, with level ones not much different than "breathers," as they call the living. Level twos can still pass, but have no souls and are the evil geniuses and henchmen of the zombie world. Level threes? Pretty much what we have come to expect of zombies. Our heroes, a secret team of adolescents, must recognize that they aren't just the zombie version of Buffy and the Scooby Gang, slaying zombies willy-nilly. They also must respect the level ones' struggle just to get by as undead in a world teaming with the living. They protect the level ones, while still engaging in plenty of rock-em, sock-em action to rid New York City of the evil dead. Ponti's prose will engage and entertain you ("I'm no social butterfly, let's face it I'm not even a social caterpillar"). The book keeps your mind engaged, with plenty of puzzles the Omega Team of zombie hunters have developed to keep each other informed of the undead threat, plus a mystery involving a zombie conspiracy, hinting at a larger plan beyond brain eating (which by the way doesn't happen at all in the novel). I read the book in a single sitting and can't wait for the next installment. Whether or not you are a fan of the zombie genre this is a book anyone who enjoys a good read will appreciate.

This was a great book for young persons to read. It was interesting enough to keep their attention. My granddaughter wanted to read it so I said I’d read it first to be sure it was appropriate for a 10 year old. It certainly passed the test.

Up until she meets Natalie, Grayson and Alex, Molly has no friends to speak of. She is a brainy, socially awkward 7th grader attending the Metropolitan Institute of Science & Technology (MIST). Molly helps out in the morgue where her mother worked before she died. Little does Molly know how much her world is about to change. Natalie and the others are Omegas, basically zombie police. Molly finds out the world is more complicated than she thought. New York City is full of zombies. But these aren't your typical zombie. There are three levels: Level 1's look and act just like us and they want to basically live normal lives; Level 2's look and act like us too but they have no soul and therefore no sense of right and wrong; Level 3's are more like the zombies you see in movies, they stay underground most of the time and can't really pass for human. After discovering all of this, Molly finds out that her mother was an Omega too and she prepared her for this work all her life. Molly doesn't always make the right choices, but she does try to do the right thing and the rest of the team stands behind her. The danger of Dead City (underground where the zombies live) is exciting and scary.The surprising twist ending has me dying to read the sequel. I really enjoyed this book. It manages to look at zombies in a new light. There are a lot of zombie books out there and I have read my fair share. And don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of the Walking Dead. But James Ponti has written a book that brings the zombies into a new light and makes them safe entertainment for middle graders. This book is great for fans of middle grade books. Many of the 4th & 5th graders at my school seem to really enjoy it. It's a great book with lots of action and suspense. It manages to be scary without being too blood and guts graphic (good for middle graders). I flew through this book in a few days and can't wait to read the next one. Recommended to: 4th - 8th graders who are looking for a twist on the zombie genre.

My daughter struggles with reading, but she is crushing it with this book! We are only in the first chapter and have laughed continually. If you have a 4th grader or older, get them this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book. It was well-written and fast-paced and had witty and clever dialogue and characters, which are some of my favorite things in a book. Right from the first paragraph, I was invested in Molly Bigelow and her development and growth. This is a rather original take on the zombie genre, making it even more exciting to read. I am really looking forward to the next book and seeing where Mr. Ponti decides to take the characters and the world they live in.

As a young girl I devoured every Nancy Drew mystery ever written. I anticipate that this generation's young girls will feel the same way about Molly Bigelow. She's smart, funny, and a little insecure, but she learns to have confidence in her abilities and kicks some zombie butt! The story is very entertaining and the characters are engaging. I love this series and can't wait to read more adventures!

Good series

Loved the book, pulled me in the second I started to read .... also great ending to reveal 2 more books in the series :)