Warm Bodies
Gory but sweet romance of teen girl and zombie.
Kids say
Based on 7 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Warm Bodies is a zombie romance story -- also a movie -- being heavily marketed to the Twilight set. On the one hand, it has gory scenes galore of brain-eating zombies, zombie-torturing humans, and much violent death and dismemberment of human and zombie alike. Not to mention descriptions of zombie sex, which seems to involve more confusion than physical contact. On the other hand, its fundamental message, however weirdly framed, is pretty much sunshine-and-butterflies sweetness, as the unlikely love between zombie R and the girl whose boyfriend he's just devoured may be the start of a better world than the devastated, post-apocalyptic one they currently inhabit.
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What's the Story?
In a city left derelict by global upheaval, plague, and disaster, humans take refuge in the football stadium while zombies dwell in the ruined airport between brain-eating expeditions. On one such raid, zombie R devours the brains of a teenage boy -- and inexplicably wants to protect the kid's girlfriend, Julie. Between R's friends who want to devour Julie, and her friends who want to kill R, many hazards face this unlikely couple, whose budding relationship seems to have odd effects on the world around them.
Is It Any Good?
Readers well versed in zombie literature will take the gore in WARM BODIES in stride and enjoy the quirky, world-saving variations on the theme. More sensitive readers might find the plentiful blood, brains, bones, and dismemberment a barrier to their appreciating, or even getting to, much of the book's fundamental sweetness. The writing is lively, the characters intriguing, and the creative reinvention of popular themes is thought-provoking.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why zombie stories are so popular. How does Warm Bodies compare with others you might have read or seen as movies?
What parallels do you see between the world of this story and the one we live in?
Why do you think R is so fond of Frank Sinatra, and Julie of John Lennon? How does it show in their lives?
Book Details
- Author: Isaac Marion
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Atria
- Publication date: April 26, 2011
- Number of pages: 256
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 15, 2015
Our Editors Recommend
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Night of the Living Dead
'60s zombie classic is still intense and gory.
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Where Things Come Back
Unsettling tale of teen's small-town life is good but dark.
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This Is Not a Test
Zombie apocalypse meets mature high school-set thriller.
For kids who love fantasy and zombies
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