I read an advance reader's copy via netgalley to my 7 and 9 year old boys. They very much enjoyed it and await the sequel. It was hard to stop reading since they wanted to know what comes next. The book itself is engaging enough but depends too much on pop culture references, so tends occasionally to trip up those who haven't been utterly immersed in a specific genre of films. It will be somewhat opaque to immigrants etc. I trust the final kindle edition will be better formatted than the galley. ( )

This is a quick read. It's clearly geared at a younger audience, but I think it would also work well for reluctant readers who are a bit older. It's very silly, and has nice short chapters. However, for a zombie story it's the opposite of gory and violent. It's more on the ridiculous and light side. Definitely a good choice for middle school book talks though. ( )

Zombie Zappers and constant vigilence keep Matt and the residents of his community safe from "deadbeats" - the zombies that live outside the town's protective walls. So on Christmas Eve, December 24, Matt Hunter isn't thinking about zombies; he's thinking about the new video game he wants for Christmas. His mother, however, had a more educational, more nurturing idea. On December 25, Matt receives Snuffles the hamster—a dumb, boring, little pet. At least it was—until it died.

"I'll say one thing for zombie hamsters. They don't move as slowly as their human counterparts. ...
Snuffles had curled up and was rolling down the stairs like a bouncing ball. I raced after him.
He bolted along the wall. Dad was carrying a huge pile of firewood inside so the front door was wide open. I tried to get ahead of Snuffles to slam it shut, but I tripped on one of the stupid throw rugs Mom insists on leaving everywhere and landed on my stomach.
I pushed myself to my knees just in time to see Snuffles dart through the door and out into the front yard.
Was it my imagination, or did I hear a little undead squeak of triumph as he did so?"

In chapters titled with the days beginning on December 24, Matt chronicles all the events until everything comes to a head at the annual town pet show on Saturday, February 4.

Matt doesn't do it alone, however. He enlists the help of his friends,
(excerpt from "Thursday, January 2")

"I emailed Charlie and told her to come over. I couldn't keep it a secret any longer.
"So let me get this straight," she said after I'd explained it to her. "Your dad bought you a hamster from a sleazy store and now it's turned into a zombie?"
"Yes!"
"And it's escaped?"
"Yes!"
"And you called it Snuffles?" she asked, trying not to laugh.
"I didn't call it Snuffles! The name sort of came with the hamster. But now he's called —" I paused dramatically.— "Anti-Snuffles.""

At 208 pages, this is a quick read, but despite the adorable cuteness of the cover, it's a suitable choice for older kids, too. My Zombie Hamster should appeal to grades 3-7. McCreely does a great job of combining the fear factor with humor. Matt and his friends are believable middle-schoolers - a little bit snarky, funny, sure of themselves, and prone to making poor choices. This is the first in a series that should have wide appeal.

(review copy supplied by publisher)

http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2014/10/my-zombie-hamster-review.html ( )

Very cute book for 4th through 6th grade. Funny with a bit of adventure. ( )