The Holy Terror

It is really disconcerting when I hate a book everyone loved. I don't look forward to writing these kinds of reviews (most of the time.) It especially pains me because Harris lives in Michigan, and I know she's been inside the book store I used to work at. To be honest though, the writing was juvenile and amateurish, and the plot was even more ridiculous than I thought a zombie story had any right to be.At 200 pages, this short novel seems like it was written with middle-school children in mind than seniors in high school. Some of the subject matter would be iffy for a younger teen, but it's actually not especially graphic. The main character talks about "hooking up" with a boy, some body parts get torn or bitten off, and just about everyone pukes at least once. There is lots and lots of puking. None of this was especially surprising though, it is a zombie book, after all.I thought this was supposed to be funny, but I didn't even smirk once while reading this. I love zombie movies and I enjoy dark humor, but this book couldn't have fallen flatter for me. The plot is steeped in so much pseudo-science that even though I'm practically a layman, the way the main character figures out a cure for the zombie virus really made me cringe. The "science" is appalling.How about some young adult fiction clichés? Here's a handful for you:1. Nerd girl with bad hair and no boobs lusts after the popular boy2. Bratty younger brother is bratty3. All parents are non-existent for the majority of the book The mother of the main character is even in another country, while another mom actually gets eaten and nobody seems to care4. Nerd girl constantly remarks on how much prettier her friends are, how much of an awkward dork she is, and constantly berates herself for being smart5. Popular/jock boy with a heart of gold falls in love with the nerd girl ... because of her brains or course6. Nerd girl saves the day with knowledge only she has and gets asks to Homecoming by the popular/jock boyPoints go to all of the Polish last names, "pop" instead of "soda," and the beautiful cover. Everything else was a waste of time and I don't recommend this book at all.