Backlog Reviews: A Mad Zombie Party; Me Before You, These Shallow Graves

The enemy has risen from the grave. Together we slayers must stand, or one by one we will fall.

Ali Bell's crew of zombie slayers thought they'd won the war against Anima Industries, the evil company responsible for capturing and experimenting on zombies in an effort to discover the secret to immortality. In the last epic clash, the slayers lost many of their crew and closest friends. But Frosty, the ice man himself, has not recovered from one casualty in particular — the love of his life, Kat Parker.

On the path to self-annihilation, Frosty receives a message from beyond — Kat's spirit returns, insisting he partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks. Frosty will do anything for Kat. Except that. Camilla's betrayal caused Kat's death.

But when Anima rises from the grave stronger than ever, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. And one broken slayer will learn that sometimes the line between hate and attraction is blurred... and the road to redemption may mean letting go of the past and grabbing hold of the future.

(Goodreads)

I enjoyed A Mad Zombie Party, as well as Frosty and Milla, but I feel this addition was missing something. And I think that something was Cole and Ali. Yes, Cole and Ali were there and an integral part of the story and around quite a bit, but whenever they left, I wanted narration to follow them. There was nothing wrong with Frosty and Milla and their romance was a great slow burn - especially given Milla's part in Kat's death - but they weren't Cole and Ali. I hate comparing them, but a part of me can't help it.
The slayers powers continue to grow and change, making for a good story that kept me listening for hours on end.

If you're a fan of The White Rabbit Chronicles, I would absolutely read A Mad Zombie Party as it was a good ending to the series and I'm happier with the way this ended (not that The Queen of Zombie Hearts was a bad ending, but if you read it I'm sure you know what I mean).

Series:
Me Before You #1
Genre:
Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary
Publication.Date: January 5, 2012
Pages: Audiobook
Published By: Pamela Dorman Books/Viking
Website: Jojo Moyes
Me Before You on Goodreads
My review copy:
Borrowed from local library

Where to get:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

(Goodreads)

I had Me Before You on my TBR list for a while before ultimately removing it for some reason or another. It wasn't until I saw the movie trailer with Emilia Clarke (whom I adore) and Sam Claflin (whom I love) that I decided to put it back on my TBR list. And I'm so glad that I did.
After losing her job at a coffee shop, Lou has a variety of jobs before finally landing as a six-month position as caretaker for Will Traynor, a snarky and humorless quadriplegic. The romance is incredibly sweet - probably one of the ultimate slow burn relationships. Lou isn't trying to romance Will, but bring back his zest for life and in doing so they slowly begin to realize how much they care for one another.
Me Before You is incredibly emotional and there were times I just had to pause my audiobook and reflect on the story. Lou is a fun loving and exciting character that Jojo just brings to life! She breaks through Will's cynical nature, allowing him to experience life once again.
I cannot recommend Me Before You enough. The story is honest and lovely, full of hope and reminders that each and every day with those you love is precious.

Series:
Standalone
Genre:
Adult, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Myster
Publication.Date: October 27, 2015
Pages: Audiobook
Published By: Random House Delacorte
Website: Jennifer Donnelly
The Shallow Graves on Goodreads
My review copy:
Borrowed from local library

Where to get:

Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.

Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.

The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.

The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.

(Goodreads)

I absolutely loved These Shallow Graves. I listened to it on audiobook at work, but with only a few chapters left and the work day ending, I had to download it on eBook so I could read it when I got home. I could not stop listening / reading!
Jennifer created one of my absolute favorite character troupes. A woman in a time where women had no voice and not only gave her a voice, but made her kick ass as well! Jo is strong in both mind and spirit, refusing to back down because of society's rules. After overhearing a reporter state that her father's accidental death was anything but, Jo takes it upon herself to team up with said reporter and find the truth.
Their investigation leads them on a whirlwind of revealed secrets and introduces Jo the underbelly of her city, giving her a brand new perspective on the world.
I loved the relationship between her and Eddie. It was very well written and I myself am a fan of Eddie. I'm hesitate to say there's a love triangle - it's more situational than anything. Being of the upper class, Jo is expected to marry well, but her feelings lie with Eddie while her sense of obligation lies with Bram Aldrich.
There is also a friendship that comes sort of out of the blue with Jo and Fay, but I found myself loving their banter and the relationship they formed. It was that sort of friendship that proved backgrounds don't matter and two strong females will come together in support of one another.
A must read for anybody who loves historical fiction, strong female characters, a deeply involved and dark mystery, and twists around all corners!