Alice Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

They both have pasts they want to leave behind. On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia.

The tendency of the characters toward preachy inner monologues feels false.Ī transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut. The intimacy and precision of the killer’s machinations hint at some grand psychological reveal, but lacking even basic jump-scares, this tale is high in yuck and low in fright. And while Makani’s secret and the killer’s hidden identity might keep the pages turning, this is less a psychological thriller and more a study in gore. Graphic violence and bloody mayhem saturate this high-speed slasher story. However, the charming and incredibly shy Ollie, a white boy with hot-pink hair, a lip ring, and wanderlust, provides an excellent distraction from the horror and fear. As the only half–African-American and half–Native Hawaiian student in her school, she already stands out, but as the killing spree continues, the press descends, and rumors fly, Makani is increasingly nervous that her past will be exposed. She has developed a crush and made some friends, but a dark secret keeps her from truly opening up to those around her. Senior Makani Young has been living in corn-obsessed Nebraska for just a little over a year. Most freeze in fear, but a brave few try to stop the killings. Someone is murdering high school students. The unbalanced plot stretches too far, over too long. However, Ali’s female friendships are endearing. The slow-paced story is plagued by tension-stealing tropes-the paranormal-romance-sequel formula in which the hero abruptly dumps the heroine and the zombie-movie cliché in which a victim conceals an infection. Additional storylines feature relationship struggles for Ali’s best friends and a spy among the slayers feeding information back to the evil corporation that wishes to use zombies. In the mirror, she sees a sinister zombie version of herself that wants to take over, forcing Ali to struggle against her zombie counterpart’s hungers.

Meanwhile, Ali is bitten during a zombie hunt and has a strange reaction, even after being given the antidote. Before Ali can figure things out, Cole has already dumped her, leading to pages of misery for everyone involved. One is Cole’s gorgeous ex, and the other, a handsome “he-slut,” shares visions with Ali when he meets her eyes-just like the visions that kick-started Ali and Cole’s romance. Romantically, things are great with her boyfriend, Cole, right up until two out-of-state zombie slayers arrive. Just when Ali’s getting into a comfortable rhythm with her new zombie-fighting life, everything falls apart.

In this follow-up to Alice in Zombieland (2012), Ali Bell and her friends, fellow hunters of invisible spirit zombies, confront internal threats and endless relationship drama.

Alice Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter