Review: A good example of how not to write for young adults
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2014
Young adults are not idiots, most of them who read are not reading at grade school level. Most of them have good vocabularies because they are readers. Ones who pick a book up like this, in a subject matter which would not be a book given as a reading assignment at school, are looking for a good zombie survival read. Because it involves young adults they are expecting it to have young adults and stuff they can relate too they do NOT expect or appreciate:1. Being written down to, which this book did in spades. I believe someone called it VERY YA, as in not YA but written as if the reader would be reading their first one or two chapter books. I felt insulted for the younger readers and cringed at many of the poorly and childishly written scenes. NOT BADLY WRITTEN just written down to the readers.2. The attempt at having some kind of romance when the author obviously wanted to have something without it being inappropriate (OK for MG but ... YA is 12 and up) but... there was oral sex, or at least a limited description of it. This is not being sold as YA though, so ummm what the heck! The romance quality is a crush, that is fine for tweens, again but even so I would not want my tween (well when they were one) or even teen reading it or suggesting they read this because they would get mad at me for giving them a book which reads like one assumes since they are kids they are stupid and cannot read beyond their age. Writing style and imposed tone through simplicity, not so much content does this.3.  Read like a fleshed out outline almost, or maybe an idea for TV episode or something? She did this, They did that.. NO SHOWING, all telling. My mom writes children's books and this is where you use tell more than show, but even she showed a bit more than this one and she didn't really need too. I seriously do not think it is the authors ability to write but realize what kids are like. How mature they are now and how just like us, they are becoming more and more "worldly"; desenstized? Perhaps at least I hope so.4. This again seemed to speak towards who seemed she was writing too. She was raised by a father who is a survivalist, great! She knows it all, again typical troupe for a ZA book with a teen in it, read a book just like this the other day and gave it five stars because she got not talking down to kids or about kids.... Another agreement with another reviewer? WELL EDITED!!! Hats off to that, but again written for fifth graders who are only reading at that level. I felt dumb after reading this and annoyed.TWO STARS?? Because of the editing and promise! All the rest of these readers have certain expectations, I have mine therefor my review is subjective and based on reading YA and MG books as a parent and teacher read them. Also I want to find a good family read, one that has a balance for everyone to enjoy, sigh... if this was MG or GS maybe. Other wise not even a meh, I would label this an eyeroller. Sorry, I really really REALLY wanted this to be good, and it just was not.