Wednesday, June 17, 2009

My Take On Breathers


Synopsis: Meet Andy Warner, a recently deceased everyman and newly minted zombie. Resented by his parents, abandoned by his friends, and reviled by a society that no longer considers him human, Andy is having a bit of trouble adjusting to his new existence. But all that changes when he goes to an Undead Anonymous meeting and finds kindred souls in Rita, an impossibly sexy recent suicide with a taste for the formaldehyde in cosmetic products, and Jerry, a twenty-one-year-old car crash victim with an exposed brain and a penchant for Renaissance pornography. When the group meets a rogue zombie who teaches them the joys of human flesh, things start to get messy, and Andy embarks on a journey of self-discovery that will take him from his casket, to the SPCA, to a media-driven class-action lawsuit on behalf of the rights of zombies everywhere.
Whoa. That's all I could say after finishing this book. Oh, and, "Huh, I did not see that coming." I mean, it was kinda obvious that something was gonna happen, because, like, hello! The title, Breathers: A Zombie's Lament...
(la·ment 
: to mourn aloud : wail
1 : to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for something, often demonstratively : mourn)
... Not Breathers: A Zombie's Exultation...
(ex·ult
1obsolete : to leap for joy
2: to be extremely joyful : rejoice
Thank you, Merriam-Websters online dictionary!)
So any-hoo, a spectacular ending to a spectacular book. By the end, all the little things that happened during the story, which I sorta brushed off as filler, came together to reveal the many facets of the subtly crafted plot!
Andy is totally realistic, even though he's a member of the undead, downs bottles of shampoo to get his daily recommended amount of formaldehyde, and is sprayed with air-freshener by his mother before being allowed out of the wine cellar where he spends his days watching lame TV and chugging bottles of red. His voice is very sincere and honest and, just real, man. I do however feel obligated to warn y'all that this is by no means a YA book. I occasionally dab my foot into the deep and murky pool of adult general fiction, and sometimes I come up with yucko stuck between my toes. Such is life. A strong PG-13 for sexual content, violence, and zombie gore. I don't really care for smut in my books, it's why I mostly stick to YA, and even then I'm very careful about what I read, but I couldn't pass this story up. The cover lured me in, the story hooked me, and Andy's unflinching narration reeled me toward the truth of what life after life might be.
This story asks a lot of questions concerning zombie rights: Are they still "people"? Does the Constitution apply to them? Should they be allowed the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Murderers get room and board with three square meals, should the undead receive the same courtesies?
The answers: In the book, it's a resounding NO. I say it's something you gotta work out on your own.

I give Breathers...
 ...four zombies.  
Necrophilia and cannibalism aside, I would recommend this book to anyone (over the age of 17) who enjoys zombies, love stories, and tragedy.
Happy reading, y'all!
21

12 comments:

Eli said...

Haha, this seems... interesting! Well, I love zombies (who doesn't?) So maybe I might give this a try-- Great review!

Natascha De Marco said...

U have a surprise at my blog (also get a chat box!)

BTW Nice review ^^

Sandy said...

wow. you got me interested. :)

you have a surprise at my blog tooooo. ♥

Sandy said...

I DID notice that the author's name spells "asking". And when you say her name outloud (ignoring the initials)....see what you get. xD

Brianne said...

I always seem to think of zombies as the brain dead, souless creatures you see in horror movies. I'm guessing this book shows a different side to zombies... Interesting.
;-)

Natascha De Marco said...

Just so you know I am also having a contest for an ARC copy of Eyes Like Stars ^^ If you enter, with my contest and Eli's youll have double the chance to win!

Zombie Girrrl said...

I'm gonna have to post about *why* I like zombies so much since it's come to my attention that I've gotten a little carried away with them...
Thanks for the heads up, Taschima! As y'all can see from my swollen sidebar, I'm on somethin' of a contest kick right now. I've entered 6! ^.^ Whoo, whoo! I hope I've got some luck on my side!

Natascha De Marco said...

Where are you? :S I miss ya back at my blog :(

Sad panda...

Sandy said...

Yup! Betwixt isn't a book you can read in one day; it takes your time, asking for you to please sit back and enjoyyyy.

You should read it! I want to hear what YOU think about it. It's not a popular book and I don't think I've come across any bloggers that reviewed it.

Zombie Girrrl said...

I'll keep an eye out for Betwixt! I've only ever seen it at B&N, but I don't make it there very often (it's kinda far). Maybe I'll luck out and find a copy at my used book store. That'd be like serendipity, and then I'd be, like, destined to review it! *.*

Natascha De Marco said...

U have 3 nominations at my blog! Go and pick them up!

PS; Post about them lol

or post anything! I love your blog! don't let it die!

vvb32 reads said...

ah yes, tragedy. i'm in. i'm looking forward to reading my copy. btw, this post qualifies towards your zombie challenge. and, i love your sidebar zombie bite caption ;-D

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