Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: I Was a Gay Teenage Zombie
AUTHOR: Alison Cybe
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 164 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 6, 2019
BLURB:
“Y’know, if I was a sexy type of undead, like a vampire or something, I’m sure I’d have some kind of supernatural power to bring any guy I liked under my charismatic control. Best I can hope for is to not decompose over someone’s shoes. How romantic.”
And you thought it was hard coming out as gay… Jay was a perfectly normal teenager, like any other awkward, antisocial, gay teenager. Until he was bitten by a mysterious zombie boy.
Now, Jay has far more on his mind than he can handle. Not only is he struggling to keep his troubled family together and deal with his unfulfilled love for the hottest guy in school, he also needs to keep in check his urge to devour human flesh. All the while making sure his decomposition doesn’t show. As if he wasn’t already enough of an outsider…
This unique story offers a fresh and exciting new twist on the young adult LGBT coming-of-age comedy horror tale. Shockingly aware and witty, this thrilling tale by acclaimed horror and dark fantasy author Alison Cybe dishes up side-splitting laughter, stomach-churning horror, heart-rending drama and everything you’ll need to know about growing up when you just don’t fit in.
REVIEW:
I’m not going to lie, this book is not perfect. It’s far from perfect, but I absolutely loved it.
I think young people will eat it up (pun intended), but I’m not sure if adults would enjoy it so much, although it depends what they’re looking for. The editing can be a bit rough in places and the voice can be immature, which is absolutely fine given that it belongs to a fifteen-year-old.
All that being said, let me tell you how great this book is.
The book comprises of a series of diary entries written by, Jay, a perfectly normal teenager. Well, normal for a zombie. Jay has a wicked sense of humour, and although he can be, understandably, cynical and snarky (which I absolutely loved) he is remarkably well-adjusted for a gay, high-school zombie, and often quite astute.
There are some amazing one-liners and can be so funny I laughed out loud.
She told me that over Christmas, her dad got so drunk that he threw up into his own aquarium and killed the fish.
Mr. Price shouted that Mrs. Price shouldn’t drink while she’s pregnant. Mrs. Price said she drank last time and her baby was fine. Mr. Price pointed out the baby tried to eat her own feet off. Then Mrs. Price threw a plate at him.
As I was painting on the flesh-colored makeup onto my face, all I could think was that there was no chance he’d say “yes” to going out on a date with me. No chance at all. At that moment— and just typical of my luck— my nose dropped off and splashed into the sink.
I should stop now because I could copy in half the book. If you don’t think any of the above are funny, maybe you should give the book a miss.
The book is not just about being funny, and as things move on, Jay grows up and his narration are more focused and poignant. His thoughts about being a zombie crystalize and become less naively irreverent and more thoughtful.
There are some points, in the second half of the book where I just wanted to cry for Jay, because he’s clueless, or because his situation is so sad, or because his internal dialogue is catching up with the tragedy of his existence.
In one way, the story is about a teenager who isn’t sure of his place in the world, a typical outsider who drifts through life, drawing in his notebook, who falls in love and does a year of growing up. On the other hand, it’s about a zombie, searching for a better understanding of his condition while trying not to eat people. He’s more successful at one than the other.
For a teen book it had a certain sophistication that would be appreciated by adults and children alike. It’s still pretty simplistic and maybe naïve but in a good way. I have to question, though, why it’s titled I was A Teenage Zombie? There is no was because Jay is as much a zombie at the end of the book as he was at the start and there’s no indication that is going to change.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants a simple but good story and isn’t too squeamish.
RATING: 
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