norna28's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second book in the Generation Dead series. It continues with Phoebe, Adam, and Toms story. The story focuses a lot on the society of these three and how there is much unrest with accepting zombies and whether or not they have rights and such. The story tells of how these three as well as their friends fight for equality and acceptance.
I enjoyed this book very much. Daniel Waters stays true to the characters he introduced in the first book. Waters brings new ideas and views of what zombies are in this book and I really loved his humor that he brings into it. He again shows the story through different perspectives of both the protagonists as well as the antagonist. A great book from a fun writer.
I enjoyed this book very much. Daniel Waters stays true to the characters he introduced in the first book. Waters brings new ideas and views of what zombies are in this book and I really loved his humor that he brings into it. He again shows the story through different perspectives of both the protagonists as well as the antagonist. A great book from a fun writer.
jesslyntimm's review against another edition
3.0
Oh, the cover. I don't know why but back when I had finished Generation Dead and was waiting for the next two, I was most anxious to see what the covers were going to look like. I was pleased with it, but I'm curious, on Generation Dead, who is that supposed to be?
In Kiss of Life, Daniel Waters stretched the plot to lead into a third book. Why were the kids still coming back? What happens with Phoebe and Tommy? Phoebe and Adam? Does Colette ever find her brother and parents? What is going to happen with Sylvia? Tak? George? Popeye? Karen?
There were some questions answered also. So, who does Phoebe end up choosing in the end? Well, this didn't turn out like I wanted it to. I'm not sure it did for anyone for that matter, yet I wasn't upset by her choice at all and infact, I was happier about it.
What happens with Adam? Clearly, he is a struggling Zombie whom was killed by Pete Martinsberg in the previous book. Pete was aiming to kill Tommy, Phoebe was in the way, Pete fired, Adam jumped in front.
What happens with Colette and Margi? Well, you'll have to find out, I guess. I loved the ending result although, Phoebe seems to be "lost" (Metaphorically) through this whole book.
In this book, a whole new problem arises. Pete doesn't go to jail for his murder because Adam came back, so it wasn't really murder. Martinsberg has to go to therapy and do community service at the place for Undead Studies where he meets Duke.
Throughout the book, Phoebe struggles to bring Adam "back". Love is why Karen and Tommy were such functional zombies and that's what Phoebe is giving Adam.
Tak, Popeye, and George: The Sons of Romero, are pulling pranks trying to demonstrate that the differently biotic are not goin' anywhere while there are brutal crimes happening all over Oakville, in which they're being blamed on.
Tommy leaves town to spread what has happened to the differently biotic to other states.
There are many more twists and many more tumbles. But if you're looking for a book where Tommy is your favorite character: Don't get too excited, he's barely in the book at all.
Seems like, in a series, someone (Usually the Knight in shing armor) leaves which causes huge uproar (Ea: New Moon, City of Fallen Angels). I guess it just seems cliche and annoying.
One thing I LOVED about this book was purely Phoebe. In another review, I said I just wanted to find a character who wasn't conceited but still thought she was pretty. I'm just so tired of the complaining. Phoebe admitted she was pretty! But she didn't flip a shit when Adam called her beautiful, "OMG. He called me beautiful. BUT IM NOT, IM JUST NOT, IM BUTT ASS UGLY". I hate that so much. Phoebe didn't talk about it and it wasn't her main focus.
This book is kinda boring and I felt like more should have happened. Most of it was just Phoebe trying to help Adam and not a lot of conflicts were solved but new ones had arised.
The series is a good read but not something I'd obsess over. I'm happy to say that this book didn't have the kind of zombies with a limp leg and ate everyones brains. They were cold, rock hard, pale, glassy eyed, almost beautiful. Depending on how you looked when you died.
Time for the very last book.
In Kiss of Life, Daniel Waters stretched the plot to lead into a third book. Why were the kids still coming back? What happens with Phoebe and Tommy? Phoebe and Adam? Does Colette ever find her brother and parents? What is going to happen with Sylvia? Tak? George? Popeye? Karen?
There were some questions answered also. So, who does Phoebe end up choosing in the end? Well, this didn't turn out like I wanted it to. I'm not sure it did for anyone for that matter, yet I wasn't upset by her choice at all and infact, I was happier about it.
What happens with Adam? Clearly, he is a struggling Zombie whom was killed by Pete Martinsberg in the previous book. Pete was aiming to kill Tommy, Phoebe was in the way, Pete fired, Adam jumped in front.
What happens with Colette and Margi? Well, you'll have to find out, I guess. I loved the ending result although, Phoebe seems to be "lost" (Metaphorically) through this whole book.
In this book, a whole new problem arises. Pete doesn't go to jail for his murder because Adam came back, so it wasn't really murder. Martinsberg has to go to therapy and do community service at the place for Undead Studies where he meets Duke.
Throughout the book, Phoebe struggles to bring Adam "back". Love is why Karen and Tommy were such functional zombies and that's what Phoebe is giving Adam.
Tak, Popeye, and George: The Sons of Romero, are pulling pranks trying to demonstrate that the differently biotic are not goin' anywhere while there are brutal crimes happening all over Oakville, in which they're being blamed on.
Tommy leaves town to spread what has happened to the differently biotic to other states.
There are many more twists and many more tumbles. But if you're looking for a book where Tommy is your favorite character: Don't get too excited, he's barely in the book at all.
Seems like, in a series, someone (Usually the Knight in shing armor) leaves which causes huge uproar (Ea: New Moon, City of Fallen Angels
One thing I LOVED about this book was purely Phoebe. In another review, I said I just wanted to find a character who wasn't conceited but still thought she was pretty. I'm just so tired of the complaining. Phoebe admitted she was pretty! But she didn't flip a shit when Adam called her beautiful, "OMG. He called me beautiful. BUT IM NOT, IM JUST NOT, IM BUTT ASS UGLY". I hate that so much. Phoebe didn't talk about it and it wasn't her main focus.
This book is kinda boring and I felt like more should have happened. Most of it was just Phoebe trying to help Adam and not a lot of conflicts were solved but new ones had arised.
The series is a good read but not something I'd obsess over. I'm happy to say that this book didn't have the kind of zombies with a limp leg and ate everyones brains. They were cold, rock hard, pale, glassy eyed, almost beautiful. Depending on how you looked when you died.
Time for the very last book.
impybelle's review against another edition
4.0
Cover aside, I enjoyed KoL more than I did Generation Dead. I gather that puts me in the minority based on the reviews, but there you have it. I liked reading about the other characters (aside from Phoebe) and how they were or weren't adapting to things.
I... don't really buy the Adam/Phoebe relationship. I get that he loves her. That I buy. But I don't really feel that Phoebe loves Adam. Maybe it's something that will take time or maybe it's that she spends half the book acting as if she has to love him or else he'll have died in vain. Which is guilt, not love, and other characters point that out. Hell, Phoebe and Adam both do as well.
I want Pete killed horribly and Karen back. But mostly I want the third book. Now. Waiting? Not my specialty.
I... don't really buy the Adam/Phoebe relationship. I get that he loves her. That I buy. But I don't really feel that Phoebe loves Adam. Maybe it's something that will take time or maybe it's that she spends half the book acting as if she has to love him or else he'll have died in vain. Which is guilt, not love, and other characters point that out. Hell, Phoebe and Adam both do as well.
I want Pete killed horribly and Karen back. But mostly I want the third book. Now. Waiting? Not my specialty.
bethohreally's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
missprint_'s review against another edition
4.0
Life is always about choices. It's about Phoebe Kendall befriending Karen DeSonne, the "differently biotic" girl next door and choosing to go to homecoming with Tommy Williams, the "differently biotic" boy next door. It's about Tommy standing immobile when Pete Martinsburg pointed a gun at Phoebe's head. It's about Adam taking a bullet to save Phoebe. And, even though his "traditionally biotic" life might be over, it's about Adam coming back--maybe for himself but probably for Phoebe, the girl he loves.
Adam isn't alone.
All over the country, dead teenagers are waking up and rejoining the living with varying degrees of success. No one knows why some teenagers come back and some don’t. The only certainty is that everything changed the moment these zombies began trying to reconnect with the world of the living.
Adam's death and return have rocked the city of Oakvale, Connecticut to its core. What really happened that night? Is it murder if the the victim can get up and walk away? Does a dead person deserve the same rights as a living person? Wouldn't things be simpler if all of the zombies would just go away?
Vandalism and social protest abound as some of the zombies try to remind Oakvale that they aren't going anywhere. But instead of raising awareness, the Sons of Romero might just be putting a bigger target on their differently biotic backs.
While Phoebe struggles to bring Adam back as much as she can, Tommy and Karen try to act as voices of reason among the zombie community. But the time for reason might be over in Kiss of Life (2009) by Daniel Waters.
This sequel picks up shortly after the disastragic conclusion of Generation Dead leaving all of the characters to deal with the fallout, and the grief, in their own ways.
Don't let the blurb or excerpt fool you. Both try to play up the Dramatic Love Triangle angle to lethal effect* but Kiss of Life is smarter than that. Waters continues to use the dichotomy between traditionally and differently biotic people to examine matters of tolerance and equality in a clever, original way.
In fact, even though this book is necessarily about Adam and his return, the book's main event is really the polarizing nature of the newly dead arriving in Oakvale (and the rest of the country) and their own attempts to raise awareness and get some rights. Social protest is a big part of the story but so is, for lack of a better term, the meaning of life as all of the differently biotic characters try to make sense of what their returns really mean for them and, in a greater context, for the world at large.
I always said that Generation Dead was a really smart book. If possible, Kiss of Life is even more on point. It's exciting, it gets under your skin, and it's socially aware. Waters' characters are charming and terrifying as he shows events not only from the heroes' viewpoints but also from that of a villain. Nothing is black and white here. Add to that a dramatic finish and one of the most heart-wrenching love stories ever and you have something really exceptional.
Possible Pairings: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
*I was so excited about this sequel, but when I saw the blurb and excerpt I was so angry because this was one of those moments where there was absolutely no contest (Adam all the way, always and no matter what) but it really seemed like there was. I put off reading this book for almost a year because I DID NOT need to watch Phoebe spend a whole book mulling over which zombie boy she really loved. But the book is not about that AT ALL as the story really continues in the same vein as the first book. And I wish I knew that a year ago.
Adam isn't alone.
All over the country, dead teenagers are waking up and rejoining the living with varying degrees of success. No one knows why some teenagers come back and some don’t. The only certainty is that everything changed the moment these zombies began trying to reconnect with the world of the living.
Adam's death and return have rocked the city of Oakvale, Connecticut to its core. What really happened that night? Is it murder if the the victim can get up and walk away? Does a dead person deserve the same rights as a living person? Wouldn't things be simpler if all of the zombies would just go away?
Vandalism and social protest abound as some of the zombies try to remind Oakvale that they aren't going anywhere. But instead of raising awareness, the Sons of Romero might just be putting a bigger target on their differently biotic backs.
While Phoebe struggles to bring Adam back as much as she can, Tommy and Karen try to act as voices of reason among the zombie community. But the time for reason might be over in Kiss of Life (2009) by Daniel Waters.
This sequel picks up shortly after the disastragic conclusion of Generation Dead leaving all of the characters to deal with the fallout, and the grief, in their own ways.
Don't let the blurb or excerpt fool you. Both try to play up the Dramatic Love Triangle angle to lethal effect* but Kiss of Life is smarter than that. Waters continues to use the dichotomy between traditionally and differently biotic people to examine matters of tolerance and equality in a clever, original way.
In fact, even though this book is necessarily about Adam and his return, the book's main event is really the polarizing nature of the newly dead arriving in Oakvale (and the rest of the country) and their own attempts to raise awareness and get some rights. Social protest is a big part of the story but so is, for lack of a better term, the meaning of life as all of the differently biotic characters try to make sense of what their returns really mean for them and, in a greater context, for the world at large.
I always said that Generation Dead was a really smart book. If possible, Kiss of Life is even more on point. It's exciting, it gets under your skin, and it's socially aware. Waters' characters are charming and terrifying as he shows events not only from the heroes' viewpoints but also from that of a villain. Nothing is black and white here. Add to that a dramatic finish and one of the most heart-wrenching love stories ever and you have something really exceptional.
Possible Pairings: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
*I was so excited about this sequel, but when I saw the blurb and excerpt I was so angry because this was one of those moments where there was absolutely no contest (Adam all the way, always and no matter what) but it really seemed like there was. I put off reading this book for almost a year because I DID NOT need to watch Phoebe spend a whole book mulling over which zombie boy she really loved. But the book is not about that AT ALL as the story really continues in the same vein as the first book. And I wish I knew that a year ago.
samantha_christen's review against another edition
4.0
The most entertaining and well written "zombie" book I have read yet!
reginacattus's review against another edition
2.0
The characters didn't really appeal to me this time, and the plot didn't really involve me as much as it could have. I struggled to finish this book.
carlq's review against another edition
2.0
“I guess the message in the songs is that is shouldn't matter if someone moves differently, or looks differently, or talks differently. Is biotic differently. What matters is that we're all thinking beings, and if we are thinking beings we ought to be able to find common ground somewhere.”
― Daniel Waters, Kiss of Life
Kiss of life is the sequel to Generation Dead, continuing the story straight on from the events that concluded Generation Dead we explore the moments after Adam is fatally shot, sacrificing his life for Phoebe only for him to rise moments later as one of the "Differently Biotic".
Kiss Of Life explores the direct effects of someone, so full of life returning from the dead with huge physical impairments. Barely able to walk, talk or function without assistance we follow Adam who was always so confident and sure of himself in the first book, always being a huge presence both physically and emotionally as he works to question who he is now in this undead body and his feelings towards others and their safety being around him as Phoebe continues to question and explore her feelings for Adam.
Kiss of Life also takes the time to explore other aspects of the effects of Zombies, the political and legal system around those who no longer legally exist.
Overall, the Kiss of Life is an enjoyable continuation of the story allowing us to continue exploring with our characters and seeing how they adapt to their new situations. Not quite as engrossing as the first one, Kiss of Life takes much longer to reach the actual story and seems to ignore several previous minor plot points but brings much more attention to others offering an exciting conclusion that makes you want to immediately jump into the next book.
― Daniel Waters, Kiss of Life
Kiss of life is the sequel to Generation Dead, continuing the story straight on from the events that concluded Generation Dead we explore the moments after Adam is fatally shot, sacrificing his life for Phoebe only for him to rise moments later as one of the "Differently Biotic".
Kiss Of Life explores the direct effects of someone, so full of life returning from the dead with huge physical impairments. Barely able to walk, talk or function without assistance we follow Adam who was always so confident and sure of himself in the first book, always being a huge presence both physically and emotionally as he works to question who he is now in this undead body and his feelings towards others and their safety being around him as Phoebe continues to question and explore her feelings for Adam.
Kiss of Life also takes the time to explore other aspects of the effects of Zombies, the political and legal system around those who no longer legally exist.
Overall, the Kiss of Life is an enjoyable continuation of the story allowing us to continue exploring with our characters and seeing how they adapt to their new situations. Not quite as engrossing as the first one, Kiss of Life takes much longer to reach the actual story and seems to ignore several previous minor plot points but brings much more attention to others offering an exciting conclusion that makes you want to immediately jump into the next book.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciate that the author's trying to make a statement about discrimination in this novel. And I also appreciate that we're talking about teenagers. But am I the only one who thought they just weren't doing enough? I mean, the media, the police, etc all think it's the zombies who are doing these horrible things. I understand Tak not going directly to the police and I also understand that he's not supposed to be the most tolerant of the Beating Hearts. But isn't Phoebe supposed to be such a great writer? Doen't they have this website? Why don't they use her writing abilities to tell the truth. I understand that they think the entire media is suppressing the truth (sounds familiar, yes?), but shouldn't they at least TRY to get the truth out there? Shouldn't they send their story about the true events of what's happening to the print and news media? At the very least, put the truth on the website. And after the website's shut down? How hard is it to make a new one? Oh well. I still enjoyed this one, but it's probably the least favorite of the YA series I've been trying lately and I definitely liked the first book in the series better than this one.