I've recently become a big fan of Diana Rowland reading all her Kara Gillian books, so when I saw that she was starting a new series featuring a white trash zombie I went and pre-ordered it right away. Diana Rowland came to my attention not long ago after I reading a review about how detailed and accurate her depictions of procedural and police matters were. Bought all the Kara Gillian books out at the time and really enjoyed them, and have been recommending it since.
That's not to say it was all smooth sailing for me. Those that know me are aware that I struggle through urban fantasy books that have a big focus on romance elements and on erotica. Particularly if they feature a love triangle. The Kara Gillian series had all of that, and the erotica portion is quite graphic. But I pushed on through and found myself immersed in what had brought me to the series in the first place; the procedural aspects and the mystery, and quickly became a fan despite the elements that I personally don't enjoy. Then My Life as a White Trash Zombie came along, and I thought, yep this will be right up my alley... and it didn't disappoint.
If you're looking for a fun narrator full of a sarcasm that finds herself in the oddest of situations and craving brain smoothies, then this is the right book for you. My Life as a White Trash Zombie is by and large an introspective book I thought, which makes sense since we're right there with Angel (how's that, a white trash zombie called Angel) going through the process of figuring out the changes that are occurring in her life. I don't know if this will be true going forward, I suspect not, but I think it's worth mentioning. I would like to see more dialogue myself as I'm a dialogue junkie in my urban fantasy reading.
The book has two major mysteries to take into consideration: figuring out what has happened to Angel and secondly dealing with a serial killer. Then add to that Angel re-defining herself both internally and externally, having a new job in a coroner's department, dealing with her old life, family and friends, and trying to get clean of her drug vices and habits, and we pretty much have a formula for a very fun book. Which it was. Depending on what kind of reader you are, there's a high chance that you'll laugh out loud more than once.
As for the character Angel, she's a very likable character I thought and easy to identify with; even if you don't face the same type of problems she has faced throughout her life. You'll be rooting for her, particularly to get her shit together and overcome. That's pretty much what this book is about, overcoming. And funny shit.
Since I made it a point of talking about romance and erotica in Kara Gillian, I think it's only fair to address it in My Life as a White Trash Zombie. The romance subplot is very limited and there's no erotica to speak of so far, which is great for me. But I have my suspicions that we're going to have some fun sex scenes in the future; what can go wrong when zombies are going at it?
Diana Rowland is certainly a very talented author and seems to have lived a fairly interesting life. The authenticity of what a cop and a coroner is all about, as depicted in her novels, can be traced back to her real life experiences. It's nice to read something and get the feeling that the author knows what he/she is talking about.
Cover was done by Daniel Dos Santos and it's awesome in my opinion. It's even better in person. There's nothing cooler than going around with a pink colored book with a bloodied zombie in the cover.
You can buy My Life as a White Trash Zombie from The Book Depository.
For some reason my online bookseller sent me two copies of My Life as a White Trash Zombie, which I won't complain about. But it's one more than I actually need, so think I may plan a giveaway at some point, but don't hold me to it. Let me know if there's some interest though.
And for the doubters out there:
I've been told by a very reputable source that I have a "nice spread". Or something like that.
For more information on Diana Rowland and her books, please visit her website.
