Review by Bianka Walter -- Undead Redhead by Jen Frankel
Posted: 25 Sep 2018, 01:30
[Following is a volunteer review of "Undead Redhead" by Jen Frankel.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Sharon Backovic is dead. At least, she died. In a freak accident at a friend’s wedding, she was tackled by a crazed woman after catching the bouquet. Needless to say, Sharon came off second best. But then something weird happens. She wakes up in an enclosed space that she slowly discovers is her coffin. She manages to free herself from her prison, only to find that she is at her own funeral. The guests are few, and she finds herself running from the scene in fear of what is actually unfolding in her life… or death.
As her memory slowly returns, the gravity of the situation begins to sink in. Sharon is a zombie. Equipped with rotting flesh and the odd maggot, she sets off to find any remnant of a friendly face from her old (pre-dead) life. In dying, however, she awakens with a new perspective of her old life. There are battles to face and truths to learn. How much of her old life is actually worth salvaging?
Undead Redhead takes a comical look at Sharon’s life pre- and post-death. It highlights the more humorous aspects of being undead. I honestly couldn’t imagine that there would be anything funny about waking up in a coffin and finding that none of my family had attended my funeral, but Jen Frankel does a great job in lightening the mood. As an author, it’s difficult to toe the line when it comes to how crazy your humour should be. It can also either fall short or be over the top. Frankel manages to find the perfect balance. Her informal tone and conversational narrative help the reader to become invested in Sharon’s story, even though she is technically deceased.
In coming back to life, Sharon is reanimated with a new vitality that never existed in her old self. She faces the truth of who she is, and she comes to terms with the fact that the relationships in her life were slowly draining her. Her family was absent, her friends were toxic, and her boyfriend was in a serious relationship with someone else. All the while, she was gradually expiring anyway. Her death wasn’t a tragic shock to those closest to her, it was an inconvenience. Which is why I loved watching the new Sharon grow as a person (zombie?) and seeing how she dealt with all her old baggage.
She turns out to be an inspiring woman. In her journey to find a sustainable way to live, or exist, as it were, she finds her true self. She has no one to impress. She has no one to look out for. She is truly on her own, and in being on her own, she discovers the things she loves most about herself. It’s encouraging to read a book that has lessons like these, even when they are based on someone who happens to have no pulse.
This was an easy 4 out of 4 stars for me. I found Undead Redhead to be a light-hearted read with a meaningful message at its core. At every turn of the page, I wanted to read on. Frankel moulds some very interesting characters who form part of Sharon’s life, old and new. The editing was great, I found a handful of errors, but nothing detrimental. Anyone who loves an authentic zombie story will really enjoy this book. I would also recommend it to younger girls having trouble with their identities and the way they think they should appear. This story really does go to show that it’s never too late to be yourself.
******
Undead Redhead
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
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Sharon Backovic is dead. At least, she died. In a freak accident at a friend’s wedding, she was tackled by a crazed woman after catching the bouquet. Needless to say, Sharon came off second best. But then something weird happens. She wakes up in an enclosed space that she slowly discovers is her coffin. She manages to free herself from her prison, only to find that she is at her own funeral. The guests are few, and she finds herself running from the scene in fear of what is actually unfolding in her life… or death.
As her memory slowly returns, the gravity of the situation begins to sink in. Sharon is a zombie. Equipped with rotting flesh and the odd maggot, she sets off to find any remnant of a friendly face from her old (pre-dead) life. In dying, however, she awakens with a new perspective of her old life. There are battles to face and truths to learn. How much of her old life is actually worth salvaging?
Undead Redhead takes a comical look at Sharon’s life pre- and post-death. It highlights the more humorous aspects of being undead. I honestly couldn’t imagine that there would be anything funny about waking up in a coffin and finding that none of my family had attended my funeral, but Jen Frankel does a great job in lightening the mood. As an author, it’s difficult to toe the line when it comes to how crazy your humour should be. It can also either fall short or be over the top. Frankel manages to find the perfect balance. Her informal tone and conversational narrative help the reader to become invested in Sharon’s story, even though she is technically deceased.
In coming back to life, Sharon is reanimated with a new vitality that never existed in her old self. She faces the truth of who she is, and she comes to terms with the fact that the relationships in her life were slowly draining her. Her family was absent, her friends were toxic, and her boyfriend was in a serious relationship with someone else. All the while, she was gradually expiring anyway. Her death wasn’t a tragic shock to those closest to her, it was an inconvenience. Which is why I loved watching the new Sharon grow as a person (zombie?) and seeing how she dealt with all her old baggage.
She turns out to be an inspiring woman. In her journey to find a sustainable way to live, or exist, as it were, she finds her true self. She has no one to impress. She has no one to look out for. She is truly on her own, and in being on her own, she discovers the things she loves most about herself. It’s encouraging to read a book that has lessons like these, even when they are based on someone who happens to have no pulse.
This was an easy 4 out of 4 stars for me. I found Undead Redhead to be a light-hearted read with a meaningful message at its core. At every turn of the page, I wanted to read on. Frankel moulds some very interesting characters who form part of Sharon’s life, old and new. The editing was great, I found a handful of errors, but nothing detrimental. Anyone who loves an authentic zombie story will really enjoy this book. I would also recommend it to younger girls having trouble with their identities and the way they think they should appear. This story really does go to show that it’s never too late to be yourself.
******
Undead Redhead
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Bianka Walter's review? Post a comment saying so!
