This one was *such* a disappointment. Flat characters and mediocre writing. The premise was great and I had very high hopes for it. I should have known better because my favorite blogger/reviewer didn't love it either and I always agree with her. Should have skipped this one! ( )

Hannah is the new kid in her school. She's pretty much always the new kid in her school, because her dad is on the run from bill collectors and unemployment so they move pretty frequently. Hannah always wants to fit in, but usually she just makes a few friends on the fringes of popularity before she has to move again. This time the first person to make friends with her is Lukas - but it turns out he might be crazy. He keeps warning Hannah that the other kids in the schools are all zombies, drinking the blood of the people in town who go missing. Hannah does not believe Lukas, but she does admit that a lot of weird things happen in town. When the cheerleaders invite her onto the squad, she nearly forgets Lukas and all of his warnings as she becomes part of the popular crowd. Worried that she will be turned into a zombie, Lukas makes one last-ditch effort to save her. ( )

I liked the concept of this book, but the actual writing kind of turned me off. There's just something about James' style that doesn't sit well with me... especially how he'll have dialogue, then summarize more dialogue (he then told me about...), and then go back into dialogue. Not sure if you follow what I mean by that, but it drove me crazy. The main character was too stupid to relate to. She consistently thought of nothing but popularity and getting a spot on the cheerleading squad, even when the girls were horrible to her, and was constantly able to brush off all the warning signs that something wasn't right.... until they were actually making her into a zombie. I say she deserves it, ha ha. ( )

Hannah and her father are always one step ahead of the bill collectors, moving from town to town. At every school, she tries to fit in but is usually the odd man out even though she is pretty and smart. When they hit their new town, she is determined to be popular, no matter what the cost. Despite the weirdness of her new school and schoolmates, she ignores all the warnings and warning signs and tries out for cheerleader. Will she survive???

I like this book way more than I thought I would. I really got caught up in Hannah's desire to fit in. In her case it is not just superficial, she is so rootless that I could understand the need in her. The pace is good and Hannah is very believable. ( )

It was short and easy to read. That's about the best thing I can say about this book.

On the very last page, the publisher has an ad that says "Our books are friends for life." Not so much this one. It's more like a short-lived crush that you regret almost as soon as it begins.

And, the ending is crappy. Completely crappy. ( )