I have to say, I am not a zombie fan, but Charlie Higson can tell one hell of a story. Seriously--this book is not just for teens. Anyone who is a fan of zombie tales needs to pick up this series. The Dead is a prequel to The Enemy, which tells the story about a horrible plague that attacks anyone over 16. They either die or turn into child eating zombies. The Dead starts out a year before The Enemy, and you meet a whole new group of kids who start out fighting their way from a school in the country into London, where they realize there will be more food and better shelter. Along the way, they meet Greg, an adult with a bus who gets them to London. Greg is not a nice man, however, and between his ominous ideas for survival, and the inability of any adult to escape the plague, you have a built in time bomb. You will be on the edge of your seat reading this story! What I love about this novel is how well written it is, and how the plot neatly brings you to the beginning of the first novel, The Enemy. The characters are all great kids who are faced with the devastating knowledge that their parents are either dead or zombies, and they have no one to rely on but themselves for survival. You will be hard pressed to have just one favorite character and yes, there are a few tissue moments. I cannot wait for the third novel! A well written teen series that any fan of apocalyptic novels or zombie novels would enjoy. Disregard that fact that it is a teen novel and pick this one up. And read The Enemy first!
