What Would They Read?: Liv from iZombie

I was intrigued by the concept of iZombie before I ever saw an episode. A girl who becomes a zombie, but is fighting her zombie impulses? Moreover, a girl who works in a medical examiner’s office to have easy access to her new food source and conveniently is able to step into the shoes of those whose brains she eats? A girl who now solves crimes through the “visions” she has from eating brains?  Sign me up!

Here are some great zombie, monster, and murder mystery reads that I would recommend to Liv Moore:

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry (2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults)

This is the first installment in the Benny Imura series, and it follows Benny as he turns fifteen in post-apocalyptic America and is forced to work in the last job he’d ever thought he’d have: apprentice zombie killer.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (2010 Best Books for Young Adults)

This series follows Mary as she tries to discover what is true and what is false in the stories she’s been told since she was a child. Also, there are baby zombies involved.  Baby zombies now invade my nightmares.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Another apocalyptic story, this one involves an underground society where many people don’t live past twenty and small groups of people are constantly assaulted by zombies.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Jane Austen’s classic tale with zombies added into it, this book would be a great one for Liv, who has likely read the original Austen work and could enjoy the addition of dangerous zombies to the story.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

This popular graphic novel series would give Liv a peek at what the rest of the world thinks of zombies, just in case she hasn’t figured that out already.

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson

Tandy wakes up to discover her parents have been murdered. She and her siblings were in the house when it happened, and now the police have got to figure out who’s responsible for their parents’ deaths. Liv could solve this by eating the brain of one of the parents, but the police in this book are working without Liv’s help, so she’ll have to rely on other clues to solve the mystery instead.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (2010 Printz Honor book, 2010 Best Books for Young Adults, 2010 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, 

This is the diary of Will, assistant to a scientist who studies monsters.  Will has seen plenty of unusual things, but one night a grave robber brings them something that plunges will and the monstrumologist deep into a mystery.

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justin Larbalestier

This collection of short stories tries to solve the age-old question: who’s better, zombies or unicorns? This rather lighthearted read would be a nice break for Liv after so many heavy stories.

–Jenni Frencham, currently reading These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly