Smash reviews Detention of the Living Dead by Rusty Fischer

Maxine “Max” Compton is in detention when the outbreak starts; so are several other students when Max’s best friend Brie storms in – chomping on the thigh bone of their favorite Home Ec teacher, Ms. Watkins!

Brie is a zombie, and quickly starts biting everyone in the room—even her best friend, Max!

When the class realizes what happens, it’s too late; they are all zombies—and they’re no longer alone.

Now a thin gray man in a white lab coat is testing them; making them read, and once they can no longer read, the zombies are led from the room, never to be seen again.

One by one the zombies stop reading, all but a few of them, Max included. Oh, and that cute thug she’s been crushing on for years, Cory Winthrop!

That’s when Max learns that there are good zombies, and bad zombies. And if she’s to survive, she has to pick a side.

Who knew Detention could be this hard… or last forever?

Interest in Book

It’s Rusty Fischer writing zombies! That’s always an entertaining combination. I will admit that this was not my favorite Rusty book, mainly due to lack of character connections on my part, but it was entertaining and full of his fun phrasing. His books always make me smile! Emotion = Win.

My Thoughts

The world-building was simple yet fun. A strange bunch of kids in detention get turned into zombies. Some can think, others…not so much. They retain their personalities but are entertainingly different. Their entire school is wiped out, when a SWAT-like team shows up on the scene. Next thing you know, this group of misfit brain connoisseurs has a new teacher. Who asks them to read.  Yea…what? Things just get more zany from there on out!

Rusty handed out the gore in this book, but it was gore in a fun way. Yes, there is such a thing. Why? Because I said so.

And then suddenly it’s bedlam: blood is spurting out of jugular veins left and right and splattering the walls like in one of those forensic mysteries shows Dad watches late at night on Gavel TV and suddenly everybody is biting everybody else. It’s kind of like a big pillow fight – with teeth.

See? Fun gore. Win.

The characters are where I had issues with the book. I could not connect to them and was not really invested in their outcome. They did have some redeemable qualities, however, and I enjoyed their banter back and forth with one another, too. There’s always drama when teenage zombies congregate. The  Teenage Zombie Drama Queen crown goes to…

I highlighted half the book. Seriously. You should see my Kindle. There are endless amounts of quotes that I highlighted because the Rusty’s phrasing is just so fun and entertaining. THAT is why I love his stories. He is witty and funny and full of one-liners. I’ve yet to be disappointed with his creativity and zany imagination.

Favorite Quotes

In a voice as detached as his purposeful footsteps, Proctor says, “Zombies don’t cry,” simply, with no further explanation.

I loved this plug at his book, Zombies Don’t Cry, which you should definitely read!

The the one who’s been chuckling looks at me and says, “It’s a shame, this one. She doesn’t seem angry like the rest we bring in here.” And oh, do I want to correct him and say, like the rest we brought in here, moron, brought in here…

I totally thought of Amanda and Isa, who I hope never become zombies, but if they do, I know they will be slinging grammar tips like the pros they are!

(Okay, okay, so maybe it’s four-hundred-percent wishful thinking, but, hey, a girl can dream, can’t she? Even if she’s waterlogged and underwater and sitting on a slimy rock that’s putting barnacle-shaped dimples in her rump?)

Shoot, she could definitely do worse. The movies I watched growing up, every zombie I ever saw looked like utter crap. But these two, they could definitely pose for the Aber-zoombie and Fitch catalog, if you know what I’m saying.

Make sure you head over to The Bookish Brunette, who is truly Rusty’s BIGGEST fan evar.
She has a really fun deleted scene to share!

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