Official Review: Dead is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez

[Alexandra Bayer]

Jessica Walsh has more on her plate than the average girl. After witnessing the supernatural recently and not being able to tell anyone about it, she's already stressed out. So when she finds out she's a Virago, a woman warrior who fights evil, she isn't happy about it. A new store has opened, though, so at least there are still some things in life to look forward to... at least until everyone who has bought the store's perfume develops a hunger for brains. Jessica will need to accept her new supernatural identity in order to save her best friend - and the rest of the town - from becoming mindless zombies. But can she do it? It's especially hard when her new crush seems to be under the love spell of another girl. No one ever said life in Nightshade was easy.

Although this book was aimed at a lower age group - I started this series in middle school - surprisingly, I very much enjoyed it. It was quite odd actually, since it wasn't the best book I've ever read, yet I kept wanting to pick it up and read. I also find zombies unrealistic and unenjoyable, but this changed with this book. I actually enjoyed the storyline; however, this doesn't mean I suddenly like zombie books. I suppose I preferred it because the zombies in this book were still alive and could be saved.

I found this book very fast-paced. There was next to no elaboration on the setting or feelings. Although that could be beneficial when wanting to get to a certain part of the story quickly, when it was put into play throughout the entire book, it got to be a bit tiresome just to keep up. Sometimes, I was forced to go back and try to find what was being responded to, because it happened so quickly I completely missed it. If more details were added in - not a huge amount, just some elaborations - it would have improved this book even more.

As I'd mentioned before, I'd read almost all of the other books in this series. What was interesting about this book is that although it was in the same series, the main character was different from that of the other books. This series is also written in first person, which makes the transition a little bit stranger, as opposed to changing in third person. Some of the minor characters were now main characters, but the new main character wasn't even mentioned (as far as I can remember) in half of the other books. The old main characters were put into the role of spectators; barely mentioned and not really participating. Although I was surprised by this switch, it will allow the series to go on for longer, so I suppose it's beneficial.

I surprised myself by enjoying this novel to the extent that I did. I would definitely recommend it, although perhaps to a younger age group. I found this book to be riveting and enthralling, despite the fact that I was definitely older than the suggested reading level age. I would give this book a rating of four stars. I would suggest this story to anyone looking for some romance, zombies, and woman warriors.

[Swiss Guardsmen]

A good review it explains the story gives a taste and yet doesn't spoil the story, great job!