Rabid Reads

How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back
Series: White Trash Zombie #4
Author: Diana Rowland
Narrated by: Allison McLemore
Publisher: Audible
Published on: July 1, 2014
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: 14 hrs & 21 mins, Audiobook
Provided by: Gifted
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Our favorite zombie Angel Crawford has come a long way from her days as a pain-pill-addicted high school dropout with a felony record. After a year highlighted by murder, kidnapping, and the loss of her home, all she wants to do is kick back, relax, and maybe even think about college.

But when key members of the “Zombie Mafia” go missing, she has no choice but to get involved. Angel is certain Saberton Corporation is behind the disappearances, yet she can’t shake the sense that a far deeper conspiracy is at work. With the small band of friends she can trust, Angel strikes out to track down the missing zombies.

But when unexpected danger threatens to destroy her, all the brains and bravado in the world may not be enough to keep her from going to pieces.

This series is now four books in, and I’m still not fully sold on the Saberton vs. Zombies story line however, Angel’s wacky antics and Allison McLemore’s engrossing narration more than make up for any plot shortcomings. I really enjoyed Diana Rowland’s snark in this latest installment, and the secondary characters were extremely well fleshed out which both went a long way in distracting me from the inescapable brain eating ick factor. The on-again-off-again relationship between Marcus and the heroine is also another sticking point for me. But in the end, the author’s firecracker of a protagonist and killer sense of humour tipped HOW THE WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE GOT HER GROOVE BACK into 4 star territory.

Angel Crawford is quickly becoming one of my favourite protagonists to listen to in audio. In this installment she’s attempting to master jujitsu by trash-ifying the terminology (i.e. osoto gari becomes Trip the Drunk Guy), learning how to punch without breaking her hand (while holding a beer! LOL), and FINALLY putting Marcus in his place (hopefully for the last time). Angel is also one of the rare heroines who’s character growth is obvious from book-to-book; she’s come a long way since MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE, and is taking steps to help ensure that her forward momentum continues. The ending of this book did give me some cause for concern though; Crawford’s zombie state practically cured her of her addictions overnight, but the discovery of mods might soon change all that.

Saberton continues to be a thorn in the Zombie Tribe’s side by kidnapping their leader, attempting to blackmail a congresswoman, and conducting longevity experiments. I’m still not entirely sure why Nicole harbours such hate towards her friendly neighbourhood brain-eaters, but the whole thing reeks of government conspiracies which, as far as story lines go, I am not a big fan of. Rowland adds a couple of new elements to her zombie lore which again, were a little too WTF for my tastes; maybe I just need to read more walking dead novels, either that or the author really has gone off the deep end. I wish there’d been more of a resolution to Angel and Marcus’ relationship too because 1. I seriously hate that guy, and 2. NICK!! *swoons*

This audiobook wasn’t available in Canada through my usual go-to retailers which left me scrambling for a copy on release day. Normally, in cases like this I’d hold a grudge and postpone buying it out of spite, so it’s definitely a testament to Allison McLemore’s talent as a narrator that I went above and beyond to snag the audio version. I just could not wait to get my grabby hands on this one! McLemore’s Southern twang is perfectly suited to Angel’s POV, her character voices are distinct and memorable, and she delivers all of Rowland’s punch lines with finesse. There’s even a hat tip to audiobooks in this installment when the author references PASSION OF THE VIKING, Crawford’s current listen, which I loved!

Allison McLemore and Angel Crawford is a match made in heaven. Zombie superpowers ACTIVATE!

White Trash Zombie Series
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