Review: Alice in Zombieland

I had never pictured Alice—the Alice we know and love—as a really tough girl. She was brave, certainly, but not tough. In Alice in Zombieland, Gena Showalter takes a beloved classic, making it intense and disturbing.

Alice Bell’s father lives in a state of paranoia. For years she’s tolerated his claim that monsters exist. He stays up all night, keeping watch for threats she has never seen. Her mother also knows, but prefers to hide the frightening details from her daughters.

The result is a life barely lived, one Alice has little patience for—until one fateful night on Alice’s birthday. She pushes and pushes until her parents agree to attend her sister’s recital. It’s a birthday gift that’ll end in disaster; on the way home, their car flips over near a cemetery and zombies kill her family.

Alice is the sole survivor. Alone in the world, she suddenly shares many of her father’s traits, including his paranoia. Scarred, she feels as though Alice died with the rest of her family, instead going by the name of Ali.

Set on revenge, Ali takes up her father’s obsession with finding zombies and killing them.

What I enjoyed most about Alice in Zombieland was how different Ali was from classic Alice. She’s a strong girl with dark haunts that live in her head, taunt her memory, keep her awake at night.

Ali Bell faces monsters much darker than Alice in the classic book. She fights with knives and swords, her heart loaded with anger and hatred. This Wonderland is dark and unsettling—and intriguing.

Alice in Zombieland is an exciting thriller. Ali’s a strong main character with drive and plenty of heartbreak.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants an adventure with the right balance of horror and intrigue.