Scan barcode
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
4.0
Today is the day that June had been waiting for. She's saved up her pennies in order to afford a ticket to ZombieCon, a convention for all things zombie, but with a heavy focus on her favorite TV show, Human Wasteland. All is going well except for seeing some odd behavior from fellow con-goers who are getting just a little too into their own cosplay. But after they realize that there are actual zombies at ZombieCon, June a d her friends kick into action to save the day.
Girls Save the World in This One was super fun. The best friends relationship between the three main girls was super supportive and lovely. The things that happened at the con were very true-to-life. And it was great to see some kick-ass girls take charge and save the world!
Girls Save the World in This One was super fun. The best friends relationship between the three main girls was super supportive and lovely. The things that happened at the con were very true-to-life. And it was great to see some kick-ass girls take charge and save the world!
z_brarian's review against another edition
5.0
I am a huge zombie fan, The walking dead, Zombieland, you name it. This book hit everything: the bond of friendship, girl power, survival. I loved the Easter eggs and implied comments about The Walking Dead and George Romero‘s night of the living dead. This book knocked the socks off of me. June was a serious kick ass survivor.I love the start of the blossoming romance between June and Hunter, the star of the show wastelands, which was a metaphor for The Walking Dead. There were tears and there were lots of laughs. It did come down to survival of the fittest and June’s group was the fittest of them all.
booksandpops4000's review against another edition
3.0
* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*
I really did love the various representation that was shown in this book including learning disability and just rep in general. I really loved the concept of this novel as well. A con seeing meets a real life zombie issue. It was super fast pace story with a trio of girls at the heart of it. I did find the past pace nature sometimes a hard to follow. Also the three main characters, it was hard to feel connected to the other characters we meet in the second half of the book. I really do think this would make fun movie. I also loved the fandom convo that was at the heart of this read as well! I would def read more by this author in the future.
I really did love the various representation that was shown in this book including learning disability and just rep in general. I really loved the concept of this novel as well. A con seeing meets a real life zombie issue. It was super fast pace story with a trio of girls at the heart of it. I did find the past pace nature sometimes a hard to follow. Also the three main characters, it was hard to feel connected to the other characters we meet in the second half of the book. I really do think this would make fun movie. I also loved the fandom convo that was at the heart of this read as well! I would def read more by this author in the future.
shouldireadthis's review against another edition
4.0
So, this book is basically my ideal read when I want something light.
Yes okay, there’s zombies and death and such but the way it’s written (which reads slightly more teen-y than young adult) really offsets the terror of the actual premise, making it enjoyable and light hearted.
This book focuses on June and her two best friends and you can really feel the love between them - it’s so nice to have a book where girls lift each other up and they portray very real teen friendships, which is lovely.
The one point I took issue with however is June’s name - her name is June... Blue... and her sister is Summer Blue -.- this was a bit too OTT in my opinion and almost felt satirical. Which would be fine if the novel was more of a parody however none of the rest of the book reads like this so it felt a bit out of place.
That aside, you can tell the writer has been involved with The Walking Dead because the book is very on the nose with a lot of the tropes, plot devices, and classic character arcs that come with the show. They get the idea of fan conventions completely right and it feels very real in that sense.
Another thing I loved was the characters - again, they feel like a mirror image of the walking dead (which is great if you love that show) but the true standout for me was Janet O’Shea - now a sweet old woman but a complete badass in her day. Janet was my sweet baby angel and I loved how she took to June so quickly.
This was honestly a really fun read - it’s not groundbreaking - but then again, I can’t say I’ve read anything *quite* like it. If you love zombies and are looking for a novel with female heroes - buy this.
Yes okay, there’s zombies and death and such but the way it’s written (which reads slightly more teen-y than young adult) really offsets the terror of the actual premise, making it enjoyable and light hearted.
This book focuses on June and her two best friends and you can really feel the love between them - it’s so nice to have a book where girls lift each other up and they portray very real teen friendships, which is lovely.
The one point I took issue with however is June’s name - her name is June... Blue... and her sister is Summer Blue -.- this was a bit too OTT in my opinion and almost felt satirical. Which would be fine if the novel was more of a parody however none of the rest of the book reads like this so it felt a bit out of place.
That aside, you can tell the writer has been involved with The Walking Dead because the book is very on the nose with a lot of the tropes, plot devices, and classic character arcs that come with the show. They get the idea of fan conventions completely right and it feels very real in that sense.
Another thing I loved was the characters - again, they feel like a mirror image of the walking dead (which is great if you love that show) but the true standout for me was Janet O’Shea - now a sweet old woman but a complete badass in her day. Janet was my sweet baby angel and I loved how she took to June so quickly.
This was honestly a really fun read - it’s not groundbreaking - but then again, I can’t say I’ve read anything *quite* like it. If you love zombies and are looking for a novel with female heroes - buy this.
miss_alaina's review against another edition
3.0
I hate zombies, but I still enjoyed this book. This was super cute and a really quick read. I do think this was longer than it needed to be. It started to get a little too "run, hide, fight zombies, repeat" for me.
Spoiler
I'm also disappointed with the romance between June and Hunter, especially since June spends the entire book absolutely gushing about how much she loves Imani and how deeply connected they are. When she talks about Hunter, her feelings are so much more muted. I feel like Ash Parson should've either fully committed to June's love for Imani and had them end up together (that's my vote!) or she should've cut back on some of June's gushing comments about her stunning and gorgeous and perfect and amazing and wonderful best friend. Her romance with Hunter would've been a heck of a lot more believable if she had a few more deep feelings like that for him instead of Imani.flaviathebibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t read about zombies, or watch movies or shows about zombies, often. So, when I do either, it’s because I’m very intrigued or excited about the plot. This was, of course, the case with Girls Save the World in This One as well! Female friendship + a convention + a surprise zombie apocalypse? Yes, please! And let me tell you, the female friendship didn’t disappoint! The relationships were complex. You could really tell that those girls had been friends for a while. It was all very well executed by the author.
I also really enjoyed the horror parts! For those of you who don’t know, I’m a big fan of gore if it’s done right (well, my version of right) and in my opinion...
Read the rest of my review here: https://flaviathebibliophile.com/girls-save-the-world-in-this-one-review/
I don’t read about zombies, or watch movies or shows about zombies, often. So, when I do either, it’s because I’m very intrigued or excited about the plot. This was, of course, the case with Girls Save the World in This One as well! Female friendship + a convention + a surprise zombie apocalypse? Yes, please! And let me tell you, the female friendship didn’t disappoint! The relationships were complex. You could really tell that those girls had been friends for a while. It was all very well executed by the author.
I also really enjoyed the horror parts! For those of you who don’t know, I’m a big fan of gore if it’s done right (well, my version of right) and in my opinion...
Read the rest of my review here: https://flaviathebibliophile.com/girls-save-the-world-in-this-one-review/
hickorynut's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was essentially what would happen if a zombie outbreak began at a Walking Dead convention, and how the fans, actors, and convention staff work together to survive. I read it in one morning, finding it enjoyable and easy to follow and visualize. The writing kept the story moving quickly and I was never bogged down by irrelevant details or a slog of backstory. Much of the story was the group running from one area of the building to the next but the rotating cast of characters and differing methods of zombie incapacitation kept it from feeling redundant. The characters felt predictable at times but were also easily intriguing and memorable without needing an abundance of backstory or interaction. There were many moments where the plot poked fun at itself and the silliness of certain situations which kept things light and moving. I did feel a tad disconnected from the very ending and last few pages, as if that same silliness was used to overlook the extreme trauma they had faced - I'd expected a bit more from the emotional, trauma processing wrap up for each character. Ending on a smiley social media photo op felt like a dismissal of everything they had experienced and everyone they had watched die. But despite that, overall this was a fun read with vivid visualization that I can see myself returning to to enjoy almost as I would a movie.
cynthiasreadinglist's review against another edition
4.0
LOVED this book!
This started off slowly with what felt like an info dump regarding setting and character backgrounds. I prefer when action-packed stories move with a quicker plot and establish character development through dialogue and as the action builds. But it's so worth getting past those beginning chapters because this book delivered tension, zombie goodness, and that dynamic ragtag team of survivors the genre is known for.
June, Imani, and Siggy are three best friends enjoying their senior year of high school by attending ZombieCon where they have photo-ops and a detailed itinerary to meet the actors from their fave show: Human Wasteland (a Walking Dead type zombie apocolypse show). A zombie outbreak occurs even though folks don't believe it immediately-- I mean HELLO! How do you tell if it's a cosplayer taking their costume a little too seriously?? I adored this mystery aspect and little easter eggs here and there experienced by the MC, June, keep the reader enthrallled and in the know.
The three girls link up with some of the stars from Human Wasteland, a horror movie icon, and their fourth best friend who they'd been icing out because of a crappy thing she did. So at the root of this story is friendship, deciding the type of person you want to be when sh*t hits the fan, and GIRL POWER.
Seriously, the girls in this kick ass! The title alone should sell it for you. I am a serious sucker for anything where girls are the heroes. One of my favorite sayings is "Girls will save the world." This is a story about taking down patriarchy in the form of men who don't take girls seriously, girls thinking they need to compete instead of support each other, girls being made to feel like there is only one type of intelligence. But June and especially bestie, Imani, disprove this.
I wish Imani was the MC because I desperaretly want girls of color as protagonists in horror and especially in zombie stories! I am a BIG The Walking Dead fan and the women in the show always do it for me, especially Michonne, with how powerful she is.
But one thing I appreciate about Ash Parsons is that she stuck to what she knew by writing a white MC and having her process what it's like for her mixed race, Black and Asian, best friend in a small, mostly white rural town. And Ash did something that is rare-- she named the race of every single character, even the white ones. How many books do you read where white is the default, and only characters of color are named? I really appreciate that and want it to become a standard, not just in books, but in reviews. I am pushing myself to insert this in an authentic way, especially after reading "The Default in Our Stars: A Guest Post by Linda Sue Park".
One last note I want to make as this is quickly turning into a "Cynthia screams about her love for the zombie genre and gets carried away," is how I enjoyed the Janet O'Shea character, but how I also felt there was missing nuance there regarding womanhood as experienced by white women. June is a huge fan of Janet O'Shea, who plays Vivian in the 1960s fictional film, "Fight the Dead." For folks that have seen the film, "Night of the Living Dead," it's pretty obvious Vivian is Barbara's character. Lmao, like her name even rhymes with the actress IRL who plays Barbara. And June makes a lot of commentary on why Vivian is so amazing, and why the movie was so poignant to be made in times of social upheavel where "the heroes are a timid white girl and a strong Black man...in trying to survive the night, they have to confront each other, confront prejudice, fight to even have a say about what they should do in a life-or-death circumstance." She and Janet say Vivian is just a girl doing her best. On the surface, I LOVE that! And I love how it's the framing for this story where a regular girl trusts herself and does what it takes to stay alive.
But that isn't what really happens in "Night of the Living Dead," and I think it erases the racial dynamics that although unintentional, ruled the film. While the story starts out with Barbara, this fragile white woman, as the protagonist, Ben's arrival and his incessant labor throughout, fighting the ghouls, the prideful white man wanting to be boss, and white women's complacency cements him as the leader and protagonist and that is incredible for not only horror, but a movie in that time period. And we cannot pretend that women of color get to be as gentle or "regular" in the way June, Vivian, Barbara are. Look at Michonne, or Rosita in TWD. So Idk, I have more thoughts, but this is getting long as hell! I recommend also reading The Lingering Horror of 'Night of the Living Dead', which recounts the history of zombies in Black culture, as "undead slaves with roots in Haitian folklore and necromancy." I did not know this and it's something I want to read more about!
Anyways, bottom line: read this book! I guarantee any zombie lover or anyone who has been to a fan con will adore it.
This started off slowly with what felt like an info dump regarding setting and character backgrounds. I prefer when action-packed stories move with a quicker plot and establish character development through dialogue and as the action builds. But it's so worth getting past those beginning chapters because this book delivered tension, zombie goodness, and that dynamic ragtag team of survivors the genre is known for.
June, Imani, and Siggy are three best friends enjoying their senior year of high school by attending ZombieCon where they have photo-ops and a detailed itinerary to meet the actors from their fave show: Human Wasteland (a Walking Dead type zombie apocolypse show). A zombie outbreak occurs even though folks don't believe it immediately-- I mean HELLO! How do you tell if it's a cosplayer taking their costume a little too seriously?? I adored this mystery aspect and little easter eggs here and there experienced by the MC, June, keep the reader enthrallled and in the know.
The three girls link up with some of the stars from Human Wasteland, a horror movie icon, and their fourth best friend who they'd been icing out because of a crappy thing she did. So at the root of this story is friendship, deciding the type of person you want to be when sh*t hits the fan, and GIRL POWER.
Seriously, the girls in this kick ass! The title alone should sell it for you. I am a serious sucker for anything where girls are the heroes. One of my favorite sayings is "Girls will save the world." This is a story about taking down patriarchy in the form of men who don't take girls seriously, girls thinking they need to compete instead of support each other, girls being made to feel like there is only one type of intelligence. But June and especially bestie, Imani, disprove this.
I wish Imani was the MC because I desperaretly want girls of color as protagonists in horror and especially in zombie stories! I am a BIG The Walking Dead fan and the women in the show always do it for me, especially Michonne, with how powerful she is.
But one thing I appreciate about Ash Parsons is that she stuck to what she knew by writing a white MC and having her process what it's like for her mixed race, Black and Asian, best friend in a small, mostly white rural town. And Ash did something that is rare-- she named the race of every single character, even the white ones. How many books do you read where white is the default, and only characters of color are named? I really appreciate that and want it to become a standard, not just in books, but in reviews. I am pushing myself to insert this in an authentic way, especially after reading "The Default in Our Stars: A Guest Post by Linda Sue Park".
One last note I want to make as this is quickly turning into a "Cynthia screams about her love for the zombie genre and gets carried away," is how I enjoyed the Janet O'Shea character, but how I also felt there was missing nuance there regarding womanhood as experienced by white women. June is a huge fan of Janet O'Shea, who plays Vivian in the 1960s fictional film, "Fight the Dead." For folks that have seen the film, "Night of the Living Dead," it's pretty obvious Vivian is Barbara's character. Lmao, like her name even rhymes with the actress IRL who plays Barbara. And June makes a lot of commentary on why Vivian is so amazing, and why the movie was so poignant to be made in times of social upheavel where "the heroes are a timid white girl and a strong Black man...in trying to survive the night, they have to confront each other, confront prejudice, fight to even have a say about what they should do in a life-or-death circumstance." She and Janet say Vivian is just a girl doing her best. On the surface, I LOVE that! And I love how it's the framing for this story where a regular girl trusts herself and does what it takes to stay alive.
But that isn't what really happens in "Night of the Living Dead," and I think it erases the racial dynamics that although unintentional, ruled the film. While the story starts out with Barbara, this fragile white woman, as the protagonist, Ben's arrival and his incessant labor throughout, fighting the ghouls, the prideful white man wanting to be boss, and white women's complacency cements him as the leader and protagonist and that is incredible for not only horror, but a movie in that time period. And we cannot pretend that women of color get to be as gentle or "regular" in the way June, Vivian, Barbara are. Look at Michonne, or Rosita in TWD. So Idk, I have more thoughts, but this is getting long as hell! I recommend also reading The Lingering Horror of 'Night of the Living Dead', which recounts the history of zombies in Black culture, as "undead slaves with roots in Haitian folklore and necromancy." I did not know this and it's something I want to read more about!
Anyways, bottom line: read this book! I guarantee any zombie lover or anyone who has been to a fan con will adore it.
lukutar's review against another edition
2.0
2,5 stars
I liked it a lot first but towards the end action parts started to seem very repeatable, running around from place to place and nothing deeper. I liked the friendship aspect between characters but I wish it would have been more in the center of things and pondered through.
I liked it a lot first but towards the end action parts started to seem very repeatable, running around from place to place and nothing deeper. I liked the friendship aspect between characters but I wish it would have been more in the center of things and pondered through.