I have been wanting to read "Generation Dead" for awhile so I started it almost immediately after purchasing it. Usually books have a decent wait in my TBR stack first! This is the story of an America where for the past three years, recently deceased teenagers aren't staying dead. They are coming back zombie-like, this includes vacant stares, slow movements, and legnthly pauses before speaking. At least in some cases. In other cases, you almost wouldn't even know the kid next next to you didn't have a heartbeat. Why the difference? Will teenagers ever be able to give the Dead kids a chance? Its the newest movement in equality...you cannot descriminate based on religion, race, gender, sexual orientation...or biotic makeup. The story in particular focuses on Phoebe and her best friends Margi and Adam. Phoebe and Margi recently lost a friend who came back from the dead. Unsure of how to treat her, they ignored her pleas for help. Adam plays on the football team where a mean teammate wants to hurt a dead kid named Tommy because he wants on the team. I was afraid that this book would be like so many of the other YA paranormal books out there, but I have to say this one pleasantly suprised me. The characters felt genuine and I could empathize with both the living and the dead teenagers. The story has a nice message too in the struggle for equality and it was handled in a fun and never preachy manner. The book does end on a downer, a cliff hanger if you will. The next book is already out and I know that I want to read it as soon as possible! The book is fine for adults and teenagers. A preteen warning that there are some vague mentions of sexual relations here, but nothing else to really worry over your child reading. This book is published by Disney Hyperion. This book is worth your time if you have been interested in other paranormal tales. ( )

Terrific story about teen zombies. More heartwarming than it sounds. ( )

The concept behind Generation Dead is incredibly clever and executed well by Daniel Waters. I was expecting a book about teenage zombies - what I didn't expect was a well-written and complex young adult novel dealing with the universal themes of discrimination and acceptance. Daniel Waters blew me away with this fantastic debut!

The compelling characters leapt shuffled off the page and into my heart. Waters never stopped developing each of his characters - they constantly evolved throughout the story and entertained me to the end and beyond. The plot was original and perfectly paced, keeping the reader turning the page to see what was coming next. The dialog was enjoyable and witty and incredibly realistic.

Generation Dead is a quirky and surprisingly deep novel. Don't judge this book by it's cover (fabulous as it may be!) It is a well-written story with a whimsicality not often found in your "typical" zombie book. I really enjoyed reading this one, and I can't wait to get my hands on book 2, Kiss of Life. ( )

Reviewed by The Story Siren for TeensReadToo.com

You've heard of Generation "X" and Generation "Y." Get ready for Generation Dead -- Generation Dead being known for its, well, undead. Science can't explain it, and no one really knows why it happens, but American teenagers are coming back to life. Known to the living as differently biotic or the living impaired, these zombie teenagers try to "live" their undead lives, but as with any group of people that vary from the norm, there are always prejudices.

Phoebe, a Goth girl, finds herself unexpectedly drawn to one of these so-called living impaired students, Tommy Williams. Her best friend, Margi, thinks she is crazy, but Margi's feeling for the undead are more complicated than a general dislike. Then there is Phoebe's neighbor and childhood friend, Adam. Adam has finally realized his true feelings for Phoebe, but he still can't find the courage to tell her. Of course, it doesn't make the situation any easier when he discovers Phoebe is crushing on the dead kid.

Phoebe talks Margi and Adam into joining a work study at the Hunter Foundation, which is centered around the undead phenomenon. Unfortunately, not everyone tries to be as open-minded. There aren't any laws protecting these teens, and they are being singled out and sometimes killed again. When a student makes a personal vendetta to take out the living impaired and anyone associated with them, the situation can only end in tragedy.

GENERATION DEAD went above and beyond what I was expecting. Sure, it is about the dead, but there are so many underlying messages in this book. Prejudice is something that is very apparent, and is something that we deal with in reality on a daily basis. There is a part in the book where they have a guest speaker in their undead studies program. Basically, they are discussing how they can acclimate the undead into society. I have to say that the dialogue of the speaker totally blew me away. I think I read it maybe three or four times, and I just kept thinking, if only acceptance and change were and could be that easy, the world would be a better place.

As for the rest of the story, the characters were beyond three-dimensional. I felt like I knew these kids, and they continued to develop throughout the entire story, I mean literally up until the last page. I loved it! The plot was totally original and kept me turning pages until the late hours of the night. I love Mr. Waters' writing style, as it's engrossing yet simple. The story was full of wit and humor, and I was totally captured!

Obviously, I really liked/loved this book! ( )

I found this to be very original, yet appealing for the legion of Twilight fans. The parallels to Special Ed were interesting. ( )