Review by klbradley -- Undead Redhead by Jen Frankel

Post by **Kourtney Bradley** » 08 Sep 2019, 20:51

[Following is a volunteer review of "Undead Redhead" by Jen Frankel.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Undead Redhead is a modern-day fictional novel written by Jen Frankel. Published in March 2014 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, the novel features a complete platform of genres varying from thriller and suspense to romance. At just over 200 Kindle edition pages, Undead Redhead can undoubtedly be read in just a few sessions. The main character in the story is Sharon Backovic, a rather ordinary, vegan redhead who seems to have very few people in her corner. Most of her friendships seem superficial and her boyfriend almost immediately comes off as a jerk.

When a wedding photoshoot turns into a disaster with Sharon's unfortunate death, most of the attendees are left flustered due to the disorder at the photoshoot rather than the loss of one of the wedding party members. When Sharon later wakes up in a coffin, she believes there has been a huge mistake, or rather, a sickening joke. Despite her anticipation for someone to jump out with the classic, "gotcha!" Sharon is left alone meandering around the streets of her former life, seemingly trying to comprehend her new "zombie-like" state. The reactions of her so-called friends and boyfriend are utterly disgusting, as most either feel that she faked her death for attention and needs psychological help, or that her motive for attempting communication with them is sinister.

Unlike any other zombie-themed novel I have ever read, Undead Redhead consolidates humor and frustration, along with some heartfelt journeys along the way. It was certainly emotional to see that Sharon didn't appear to really start "living" until her death, which can bring to light how many of us are just moving in the expected flow of day-to-day. The story isn't entirely sad, however, as the author does a phenomenal job of including some humor, which was unquestionably some of the best I could hope for in a story of this variety. Including mentions of zombie speed dating, unforgiving maggots, and a hideous fuchsia bridesmaids dress that seemed unforgiving to the main character's red hair, the humor was unfaltering and added so much more personality to the story.

The editing for Undead Redhead was exceptionally well-done, as I found no errors as I read the story. I was pleased with the author's use of genuine emotions and convincing dialogue between characters. Sharon's character was immediately one I liked, and I especially appreciated reading about her personal development and advancement of self-security throughout the story. Although the zombie aspect of the story can certainly oscillate the genre to a state of horror, the light-hearted comedy which is distributed throughout does a nice job of lightening the mood and engaging some readers who could be turned off by the general views of zombification.

I am so pleased to rate Undead Redhead 4 out of 4 stars and would happily recommend the story to all readers who enjoy comedy, romance, suspense, or any combination of the three. Jen Frankel's writing is unusual and engaging, and I am looking forward to locating more of her work. The clarity in her descriptive techniques quite literally gave me a full mental image of all the scenes she describes, while also including comedy to the more gruesome of those scenes. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the main character maintaining her veganism, depicting her disgust at the thought of consuming human brains.

******
Undead Redhead
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Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 24 Sep 2019, 11:09

This sounds like it was probably classified in the sub-genre of "chick-lit", which is a genre I love to read when I want something quick and easy. I really like the idea of making the character a zombie and also that some people think she faked her death for attention. It makes it ring more "true".

Post by **Kourtney Bradley** » 11 Oct 2019, 08:21

esp1975 wrote: ↑24 Sep 2019, 11:09 This sounds like it was probably classified in the sub-genre of "chick-lit", which is a genre I love to read when I want something quick and easy. I really like the idea of making the character a zombie and also that some people think she faked her death for attention. It makes it ring more "true".

Thank you for checking it out!
This is something I think I would really enjoy as a movie as well.