30 October 2014

REVIEW: The Queen of Zombie Hearts (The White Rabbit Chronicles #3) by Gena Showalter

The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter
Series: The White Rabbit Chronicles #3
Published by Mira Ink on 3rd October 2014
Pages: 480
Source: *Received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review* Thank you!

I have a plan.

We'll either destroy them for good, or they'll destroy us.

Either way, only one of us is walking away.

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies…and she isn't the girl she thought she was. She's connected to the woman responsible for killing—and turning—Cole's mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.
The Queen of Zombie Hearts is full of zombie action and fighting, this third and final novel in the White Rabbit Chronicles is a satisfying conclusion. I felt it became slow in some places and some scenes I must admit I skipped, as I just wanted to get to the zombie fighting scenes; yes, I did. The cover is beautiful! Dark and detailed, it instantly grabs your attention; the covers of the whole trilogy look amazing.
When a surprise attack on the slayers from Anima bring in the law and try to make two slayer groups clash, they must ignore their dislike for one another and work together to beat them. Co-operation is key, but when Ai begins to develop new abilities, heads begin to turn and soon they are wondering who and where the real danger actually is

"Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Be very afraid,
We're coming for you."
The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter, Paperback page 7

Our characters… oh the characters! Ali is a refreshing female protagonist in young adult novels. She stands her ground and does not let anyone tell her what to do. Alongside this, she is loyal and will always tell the truth; her promises are the most important thing to her. She fights like a bad a$$ and will do anything to look after her friends and family, and when fighting the zombies, lets just say she does not hold back. Then we have Cole Holland… he is pretty self explanatory: hot, feisty and protective (though I must say if he just decided to tell me what I can and cannot do, I would not be a very happy person.) Yes people, I am sorry to say but he can be incredibly and undeniably annoying, no matter how you try to justify it. He also appears to try to force his opinions on everyone else and essentially not give them a chance to have their say.

One of the things regarding the characters in this trilogy I loved is the fact that many of the secondary characters do have a prominent role within the novels. They do not get disregarded, they all play prominent roles whist not being too ‘invading’, their characteristics and personalities were developed effectively and they were a true positive and delight to read about in the novel; it wouldn’t be what it is without them. But then we had a mirror of Cole as the leader of the other slayer group called River. Seriously, those two must have been twins as they are exactly the same in their manner, rudeness and appearance alongside their fighting and action and morals and… everything basically! It would have been nice to see a new personality as a leader and not the mirror image of Cole. All slayers don’t have to be mean and ruthless, they just have to really care about the ones they love and not always be angry at one another. Then this heightened Cole’s protectiveness and River’s sister… and basically all spirals out of control with competition high with control, power and turn everything into an alpha male competition.

I am not really too sure what to think of the plot of this novel. It came across sometimes as a little rushed and then other times it was too slow. There were certainly twists and turns and wild goose chases that were absolutely perfect for the novel and yet some were just completely unnecessary whilst also being even more confusing. My favourite aspect about this novel? EPIC ZOMBIE BATTLES!!! Lets just say there were quite a few. Additionally, the plot does speed up in the last quarter though the ending felt a little too rushed!

The drama that occurred within the conclusion. O.M.G. I have no words. I will just give you one warning: It will undoubtedly pull on your heartstrings.

This was a brilliant conclusion to the trilogy, though I still feel the first novel Alice In Zombieland is still my favourite.


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