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vanillefire's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Self harm, Animal death, Death, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Self harm
jojojojo28's review against another edition
I liked the plot of this book, but the main character annoyed me for some reason. She became such a bitch, but she never truly underwent a change to be a better person. Also, she seemed rather self-centered. Her mother was doing everything to save her, yet she only saw the bad. also, what is it with Mike? I get that you like him, Ani, but stop mooning over him. Also, Dylan. He didn't seem all that evil or creepy to me. Just kind of sad. What was his back story? His mom seemed nice... Why was he killed so easily?
starknits13's review against another edition
2.0
The story line was an interesting one. Ani having the ZV virus has to be an emo kid so that her being a zombie is not detected, even though she wants to be a preppy cheerleader. She's in love with her neighbor and is bullied at school. Her mom is a brilliant doctor who's working at finding the cure for the virus so she can bring Ani back to life.
I enjoyed the book and the ending but I felt that there was a few parts where the story went flat and it seemed to jump around instead of explaining or telling that part of the story.
I must warn you there's a lot of cutting in this book. Ani does it to not want to eat people's brains but I'm not sure that I am comfortable "glorifying" this action even in this setting. It's a serious condition that can really hurt kids. There's also talk about drinking and Ani's mother gives her alcohol to sell to her friends another issue that kids deal with in real life that shouldn't be taken lightly.
I enjoyed the book and the ending but I felt that there was a few parts where the story went flat and it seemed to jump around instead of explaining or telling that part of the story.
I must warn you there's a lot of cutting in this book. Ani does it to not want to eat people's brains but I'm not sure that I am comfortable "glorifying" this action even in this setting. It's a serious condition that can really hurt kids. There's also talk about drinking and Ani's mother gives her alcohol to sell to her friends another issue that kids deal with in real life that shouldn't be taken lightly.
chllybrd's review against another edition
3.0
Most peoples mom's don't encourage their children to get into trouble and dress like they are constantly in mourning. But most peoples moms don't have zombie children. Ani used to be one of the popular kids, hung out with the in crowd, dressed to impress and had plenty of friend. Now Ani is in with the Emo crowd, wears white makeup, black clothes and does everything she can to stay hidden.
Ani really just wants to be normal, go to dances, date boys, hang out with friends but to do all that would draw attention to herself. I found that Ani really did have a lot of the same issues that any other teen girl would have to deal with in high school just a few undead things on top of that. I think any teenage girl would get a kick out of her character though. The romance in TWICE SHY is awkward at times. Mike is a jock who Ani has always pined over. They used to be really good friends before the unfortunately zombie-ness took Ani over. He treated her like dirt in front of others, like a queen on their own and pinned for her on the side of all that. Awkward right? His girlfriend was a total B-i-t-c-h and did just about anything to try and show Ani that Mike would never be hers. The stalker angle was interesting fit perfectly into the book. I felt the way that Patrick portrayed Ani as a zombie was imaginative and all the things about her and her treatments were completely believable and fun to follow.
I was NOT a fan of the ending. I can honestly say I absolutely despised it actually. It seemed rash and just really threw me through a loop I didn't feel it should have thrown me through. There are quite a few twists thrown in to TWICE SHY but not a lot of action. Great imagination with a neat storyline. I would have preferred a different ending but what can you do?
Ani really just wants to be normal, go to dances, date boys, hang out with friends but to do all that would draw attention to herself. I found that Ani really did have a lot of the same issues that any other teen girl would have to deal with in high school just a few undead things on top of that. I think any teenage girl would get a kick out of her character though. The romance in TWICE SHY is awkward at times. Mike is a jock who Ani has always pined over. They used to be really good friends before the unfortunately zombie-ness took Ani over. He treated her like dirt in front of others, like a queen on their own and pinned for her on the side of all that. Awkward right? His girlfriend was a total B-i-t-c-h and did just about anything to try and show Ani that Mike would never be hers. The stalker angle was interesting fit perfectly into the book. I felt the way that Patrick portrayed Ani as a zombie was imaginative and all the things about her and her treatments were completely believable and fun to follow.
I was NOT a fan of the ending. I can honestly say I absolutely despised it actually. It seemed rash and just really threw me through a loop I didn't feel it should have thrown me through. There are quite a few twists thrown in to TWICE SHY but not a lot of action. Great imagination with a neat storyline. I would have preferred a different ending but what can you do?
rvenfrost's review against another edition
3.0
Twice Shy was an easy read. It flowed well and I enjoyed the story. I loved that it was in the perspective of an infected zombie. It gave little hints of a past zombie invasion but didn't focus on it.
The story takes place after the zombie outbreak and Ani was born infected. She has been being kept alive by her brilliant mother, bathing nightly in chemical cocktails to make her appear healthy and normal.
I think that it would appeal to a younger crowd, high school maybe. Though it can get pretty sexual at times so I would be aware of that.
What killed me (no pun intended) was the ending. I turned page after page and then felt a bit let down. It was the inevitable ending I suppose, but even still I think it could have been better written.
Overall I would say give it a try!
The story takes place after the zombie outbreak and Ani was born infected. She has been being kept alive by her brilliant mother, bathing nightly in chemical cocktails to make her appear healthy and normal.
I think that it would appeal to a younger crowd, high school maybe. Though it can get pretty sexual at times so I would be aware of that.
What killed me (no pun intended) was the ending. I turned page after page and then felt a bit let down. It was the inevitable ending I suppose, but even still I think it could have been better written.
Overall I would say give it a try!
msoblong's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book before I even started reading it (love the cover!). For me this book had a whole new take on the zombie thing. There was a lot of detail put into the descriptions of wounds, cravings, serums, etc that made me like the book even more. Plus Ani was a kind of quirky character but really hard to dislike.
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads, and would have no problem picking up another book by Patrick Freivald.
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads, and would have no problem picking up another book by Patrick Freivald.
cjmichel's review against another edition
4.0
This was fun and entertaining right up until the ending when I had to force myself to reread the shocking development. I was disappointed with the last page so don't read that first for those readers who tend to read that way. It will kill the rest of the story and you will miss the fun.
pacey1927's review against another edition
4.0
Ani isn't like other teenager girls. She is a zombie, a fact given away on the back blurb. She was infected by a virus and must keep her condition a secret. Luckily her mom is a scientist and is working to find a cure. How does Ani hide her condition? She pretends to be goth, wearing layers and layers of black hair. When her face rips apart she just pins it back with safety pins and calls it a statement. Her relationships are pretty fake also. Her best friend is a drug using goth girl named Fey who Ani mostly uses as a cover. She longs to be near her childhood friend and crush, Mike but he is dating a popular girl and honestly Ani' gothic style kind of has him freaked out. Ani is bullied by Mike's girlfriend and others as well. Every day is a struggle to stay under the radar and make it back home without injuries.
This book was dark! I had no clue going into it how dark this material would be. I have to say that is honestly the reason I was able to review the book as high as I did. I was shocked sometimes by what happened in this book, at the lengths Ani would go to in attempt to hider her secret. And then the book had layers. We see the day to day activities in Ani's life and suddenly we get thrown some curveballs that I never saw coming. I didn't like the self cutting in the book. It was a way for Ani to fight back her zombie urges (brains!) but it was just gross and treated far too casually in my opinion. Most of the characters were unlikeable and it was somewhat difficult to really root for any of them. The ending was a major shocker and also quite a cliffhanger. I didn't see that coming at all. The author is working on the sequel and even though I had some aspects of the story I didn't care for, the book definitely was unique and different enough that I want to read more. I want to see where the author takes things from the last page of "Twice Shy".
This book was dark! I had no clue going into it how dark this material would be. I have to say that is honestly the reason I was able to review the book as high as I did. I was shocked sometimes by what happened in this book, at the lengths Ani would go to in attempt to hider her secret. And then the book had layers. We see the day to day activities in Ani's life and suddenly we get thrown some curveballs that I never saw coming. I didn't like the self cutting in the book. It was a way for Ani to fight back her zombie urges (brains!) but it was just gross and treated far too casually in my opinion. Most of the characters were unlikeable and it was somewhat difficult to really root for any of them. The ending was a major shocker and also quite a cliffhanger. I didn't see that coming at all. The author is working on the sequel and even though I had some aspects of the story I didn't care for, the book definitely was unique and different enough that I want to read more. I want to see where the author takes things from the last page of "Twice Shy".
cozykrysti's review against another edition
3.0
Twice Shy
Book Review
Ani is a typical angst-filled teenager. She dresses all in black, listens to death-metal music, and is in love with the all-star jock she can never have. She also spends hours each night in a bath filled with…formaldehyde? Well, maybe she isn’t exactly typical. In fact, she’s dead, or perhaps undead would be the more politically correct term.
Ani contracted the dreaded ZV (zombie) virus at the age of sixteen and, with the help of her doctor mother, manages to control her fierce cravings for brains and live a somewhat normal life.
Her mother is determined to find a cure for Ani’s condition and is willing to do just about anything in order to make that happen. She has also given Ani some very strict rules in order to keep her condition a secret from those who would otherwise want to shoot and then burn her. Ani must dress like an “emo” as well as hanging out with a group of them at school. She must pretend to be a misfit and ignore all her former friends. And she must never be caught listening to the pop music she so dearly loves. Will Ani be discovered and put to death (final death in her case), or will her mother find a cure in time to return her to her former blonde, cheerleading self?
Patrick creates a fun-filled read in this new take on the classic zombie novel. It is jam packed with fantastically gory details that any fan of the genre would expect. Patrick also expertly captures the emotions of a troubled teen and the challenges they face on a daily basis. Ani proves to be a fascinating character that the reader will root for from the first page.
The book, unfortunately, concludes in a way that is both jarring and incredibly unsatisfying. It wraps up very quickly; the ending consists of less than a page and a half. But, worst of all, the tone of the writing seems to change so completely that it is as though it was written by an entirely different author.
Other than the abysmal ending, this novel provides a unique portrayal of the zombie monster and should be recommended to anyone who can appreciate a little undead drama.
Book Review
Ani is a typical angst-filled teenager. She dresses all in black, listens to death-metal music, and is in love with the all-star jock she can never have. She also spends hours each night in a bath filled with…formaldehyde? Well, maybe she isn’t exactly typical. In fact, she’s dead, or perhaps undead would be the more politically correct term.
Ani contracted the dreaded ZV (zombie) virus at the age of sixteen and, with the help of her doctor mother, manages to control her fierce cravings for brains and live a somewhat normal life.
Her mother is determined to find a cure for Ani’s condition and is willing to do just about anything in order to make that happen. She has also given Ani some very strict rules in order to keep her condition a secret from those who would otherwise want to shoot and then burn her. Ani must dress like an “emo” as well as hanging out with a group of them at school. She must pretend to be a misfit and ignore all her former friends. And she must never be caught listening to the pop music she so dearly loves. Will Ani be discovered and put to death (final death in her case), or will her mother find a cure in time to return her to her former blonde, cheerleading self?
Patrick creates a fun-filled read in this new take on the classic zombie novel. It is jam packed with fantastically gory details that any fan of the genre would expect. Patrick also expertly captures the emotions of a troubled teen and the challenges they face on a daily basis. Ani proves to be a fascinating character that the reader will root for from the first page.
The book, unfortunately, concludes in a way that is both jarring and incredibly unsatisfying. It wraps up very quickly; the ending consists of less than a page and a half. But, worst of all, the tone of the writing seems to change so completely that it is as though it was written by an entirely different author.
Other than the abysmal ending, this novel provides a unique portrayal of the zombie monster and should be recommended to anyone who can appreciate a little undead drama.